Instincts
by subcutaneous
Summary: Dr. Murphy thought she finally had her life under control-professionally and personally-until Dr. Hunt arrived. Now she must face coming to terms with her past and her identity as they realize they are indeed more alike than they once thought. Femslash.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I do not own these characters. They are the property of ABC and all others responsible for _Body of Proof_. I did, however, have a wonderful time playing with them. I would like to thank the actors and writers for inspiring me. I'd also like to thank my Beta, who is wonderfully patient and supportive. Feedback is appreciated. Enjoy!

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><p>Dr. Kate Murphy ran a pretty tight ship at The Philadelphia County Medical Examiner's Office, as those who worked for her could attest. She was in charge of a large staff with a heavy case load and a limited budget, but somehow they managed to make things work. Few of the staff—mostly men—had taken issue with the fact that their boss was not only brilliant and very efficient, but also one of the most stunning women they'd ever had the privilege of sharing air with. Those who weren't able to deal with that matter professionally were, well, removed by the woman herself. Suffice it to say, the atmosphere was one in which everyone pretty much kept their head down and knew who was in charge. Until Megan Hunt arrived.<p>

Dr. Hunt certainly changed the dynamics. Now there seemed to be a consistent power battle, the likes of which Ethan, Curtis, Peter and the rest of the gang found rather amusing. They chalked up most of it to female competition and cattiness, but this would be a rather limited explanation. In the male-dominated workplace, a struggle does often arise among the few women in the bunch, each vying for their post as "alpha female," or perhaps for the chance to be viewed as one of the guys, thereby making it easier to fit in or wield power over the ranks. But neither Megan nor Kate were lacking in power. They had nothing to prove, and neither cared much about fitting in.

What they did care about was doing their jobs to the best of their abilities, finding the answers, and bringing people to justice. They simply played by different sets of rules. Megan was prepared to do anything to find the real cause of death for each victim, even if it involved bending or breaking the law. Having lost it all before—when she was forced to give up practicing neurosurgery after her accident—she figured she didn't have much to lose. On the other hand, Kate had successfully (and ethically) climbed the ladder and wanted to stay there. She cared just as much about the victims as Megan did, but she wasn't prepared to lose her job for it. And therein lied most of their tension. Most.

Despite their work-related squabbles, after a few months on the job, Megan started to notice that Kate seemed to enjoy talking to her. Maybe it was just that she didn't have many other women around to talk to and was happy to finally have one at her level. _Maybe she doesn't have a lot of friends_, Megan thought, _although her little speech about me making some would seem to indicate otherwise_. Whatever it was, Megan noticed Kate liked to pop into the lab, particularly when nobody else was around, and chit chat. The conversation was never idle though. It was either related to their current case, or else it seemed to be about Kate trying to decipher Megan, attempting to dissect her like one of the cadavers, to figure out what she was really made of. At first this made Megan uneasy, but after a while she started to look forward to Kate's little visits, or bumping into her in the break room as they both enjoyed a much needed cup of coffee.

Megan also thought—and it took a great effort to even let her mind go there— that every once in a while, she'd catch Kate watching her from across the hall, or examining her body more closely than the one on the table. Megan knew little about Kate's personal life, despite their brief conversations, so she had no evidence to confirm these suspicions other than her own instincts, which she tended to trust. But in this case, she wasn't sure. All she knew was that she found herself staring back on occasion, and wasn't quite ready to admit what it meant.

On one particular evening, Megan stood at the door to Kate's office and could not stop from looking her up and down. Kate wore a coral colored dress that hugged her generous curves in all the right places. Her legs were smooth and muscular, her ass was firm but round, and her breasts….Megan couldn't help it. She watched as Kate almost teasingly spread her lipstick over her ridiculously plump pout, and before she could think better of it let the words "Wow. Look at you" escape her lips. Thankfully, Kate took the compliment well and confirmed she was getting ready for a date. This made Megan feel excruciatingly lonely and more than a little jealous, but she quickly put it out of her head and tried to forget everything. Until the next day, and the next, when she saw Kate and it all came rushing back.

Megan didn't like to be wrong. She took her work very seriously and meticulously weighed every scenario, ordered every test, and disproved every alternative solution before settling on the answers she would offer the world. She had much more luck with this in her professional life than in her personal one, which led her to be even more cautious when it came to solving riddles of the heart.

"You planning to spend the night again?" Kate's voice woke Megan from the daze she'd been in.

"Ah, no. Just trying to finish up. I don't like to leave things till the next day if unnecessary."

Kate gave Megan one of her signature lip curl/eye roll combos.

"Seems to me I'd never see my apartment if I lived by that philosophy. Which, come to think of it, I do. Actually, I've been thinking about putting a cot in my office."

Megan relaxed a little, smiling, leaning back in her chair. "Then we could be roommates."

Kate smirked.

"You'd get sick of me fast. I'm a pretty wicked snorer."

"You? I wouldn't have guessed. My ex-husband did that."

"Did you ever kick him out of bed?"

"Yes, but not for snoring."

Kate grinned widely. "Men. I don't know why we put up with them."

Megan did a quick mental scan of a million responses, excuses, reasons she could give Kate for putting up with men, and decided to nix all of them.

"Thankfully, we don't have to."

Kate's smile melted into a more pensive expression as she seemed to be trying to interpret Megan's statement. She folded her arms in front of her and leaned against the doorframe.

"True. Though, it can get pretty lonely otherwise."

"Yeah," Megan seemed to be thinking aloud. "There are other means of companionship."

For as much as Megan didn't like to be wrong, Kate disliked it even more. She had lived her life much more by the book, relying on structure to get her to the position she held today. The thought of bending the rules, while a much more pleasant alternative to loneliness, relied heavily on having sufficient evidence that there would be a significant reward. Kate did not yet feel she had the proof.

"Well, Dr. Hunt, I'll let you finish up so you're not forced to move in with me."

Megan couldn't help but look a little disappointed. "Goodnight, Dr. Murphy."

"Goodnight."


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, Megan felt like Kate was avoiding her. She didn't have to look very hard for a reason to get her attention though: she needed a very expensive test performed on her latest patient in order to prove he did not die of natural causes. Kate had already made it pretty clear earlier in the week that she thought the case was cut and dry. Nevertheless, Megan's instincts were telling her otherwise, and pushing Kate's buttons was becoming one of her new favorite hobbies.

"Can I ask a favor?" Megan sweetly chirped as she poked her head into Kate's office.

"What's ever stopped you?" Kate responded without looking up from her desk.

"Well…okay. So I need to run a test for…"

"Yes, I know what you _want_. _Need_ is another thing entirely."

Megan dropped the cuteness and stepped into Kate's office, shifting from courteous employee-mode to entitled-genius mode.

"Listen, when I know something as deeply as I know this, I'm prepared to do everything it takes to prove I'm not imagining things."

If it weren't for the costliness of what Megan was asking for and the mountain of work on her desk, Kate would have stopped and analyzed the hell out of the subtext Megan was spewing, but not now.

"If I say no, are you just going ask Curtis for it anyway? He seems to cave much more easily to your demands."

"I wouldn't have to go to him if you'd just stop playing hard to get."

Kate couldn't have ignored that one if she tried.

"Okay, Megan."

"…Okay?"

"Yes. Go for it. Go right ahead."

Megan felt a twitch in her lower abdomen.

"Alright…thanks. I won't make you regret it."

"I know you won't." Kate offered, a sudden gentle reassurance not coming out of nowhere. She let her blue eyes rise up to meet Megan's green ones for just a moment, enough to let it register that she did have faith in her, and that all Megan really needed to do was be honest and ask, and Kate would give her just about whatever she wanted.

Megan gulped, half-smiled, and quickly left before Kate could change her mind.

The test quickly proved Megan was absolutely right: murder was the cause of death for the young man who had been found dead in his own bed nearly a week ago. Nobody wanted this to be the result, they never did. Life would be easier, though no less tragic, if all their young victims simply slipped away painlessly during the night. But if this was not the case (and most of the time, it was not), they were absolutely determined to bring the killer to justice.

The rest of the day involved much running around for Megan and Kate. The former returned to the victim's home to scan the room for clues and re-interview family members, while the later followed up on a lead Bud had suspected at the victim's high school. When they returned to the office that evening, neither appeared entirely satisfied with their findings. They sat at their respective desks for hours, trying to piece things together.

At about 2 a.m., Megan was thrown off her train of thought by a noise she heard coming from somewhere in the office. She held her breath and became very still in order to listen more carefully, trying to place it without having to get up. It soon became clear that the low, persistent grumble hyphenated by a soft yet higher-pitched whistle was someone snoring. Megan's cheeks turned a little pink at the thought of Kate sleeping in her office, and her lips curled into an adoring smile. She couldn't go back to focusing on her work now, but didn't exactly know how to approach the situation.

Hesitantly, she made her way to Dr. Murphy's office. Thankfully, the door was open, so she could walk in without making much noise. She had left her Prada heels back under her own desk, the easier to tip toe up to Kate without startling her. Now that she saw the awkward incline of Kate's head on her desk, however, she felt compelled to wake her up rather than let her sleep her way to a sore neck in the morning.

Megan kneeled next to Kate's chair and started to reach out to touch her arm, but stopped. _That might give her too much of a jolt_, she thought. Instead, she decided to whisper her name.

"Kate."

No response. Megan was tempted to let her keep sleeping. She knew she needed it, and in this condition Megan could admire her boss's smooth ivory skin and full, rose-colored lips without being forced to look away more quickly than she'd like to. But that, she thought, would be selfish.

She cleared her throat before more loudly whispering "Kate," and that seemed to do the trick. Kate's eyes opened but she didn't move for a few seconds. Once she realized where she was, however, she too quickly lifted her head from the desk and gasped as the blood rushed back to her neck and her stiff muscles burned. She grimaced.

"Sorry," Megan genuinely offered.

Kate seemed to just realize it was Megan who had woken her. "Oh…it's…"

"I just heard you from my office. When I saw the position you were in, I didn't want you to be hurting in the morning."

"Heard me?"

Megan felt a little embarrassed, even though she knew it was silly.

"You were snoring."

Kate blushed and then rolled her eyes.

"Great. I'm sorry I disturbed you."

"It's alright. You deserve a break. You just might consider bringing that cot in after all."

Kate smirked. She propped her elbows on her desk and rested her chin in her palms as she tried to keep her eyes open. In her grogginess, she mumbled "See, you'd kick me out of bed."

Megan's heart felt like it got kicked into her throat. Her jaw dropped just slightly as she fumbled for a response. Maybe Kate hadn't even realized what she said? Still…

"I don't think so."

Now Kate was definitely awake. As she turned her head to face Kate she grimaced again and hissed between her teeth at the ache in her neck.

Megan placed her thumb and forefinger on the back of Kate's neck, massaging just firmly enough to provide relief without causing more pain.

"Here. Does this help?" She couldn't really believe she had dared touch Kate, but something about the intimacy of hearing her snore, watching her sleep, and waking her up without being completely rejected made her feel a little bolder than usual.

Kate's breath caught a little at Megan's touch and her eyes closed, but she did not pull away or tell her to stop.

"Yes. Thanks. I'll be alright." She still wasn't sure how far she should let her guard down, as Megan's superior, and as someone who had fewer friends than she pretended to.

"Of course you will. But right now you look like you've been hit by a bus."

Kate gave her a sort of crushed, insecure look, something Megan had never seen before and needed to quickly remedy before she felt like total shit.

"Oh no, I mean, you look beautiful as always, just like you're really hurting."

Now the pink in Kate's cheeks bloomed to a full crimson.

"I…" She let her eyes close again as Megan continued to rub.

"You don't wear your stress on your face as much as I think I do, but I can certainly feel it." Megan let her fingers travel down to Kate's shoulders. She felt Kate shiver under her fingertips and felt a responding shiver between her legs. Her breath caught in her throat for a moment and she knew she'd better stop while she still had control. She smoothed her hands over Kate's upper arms and squeezed gently before stepping away.

"Why'd you stop?" Kate almost inaudibly whispered. Megan couldn't hear much over the sound of her own heart beat pounding in her ears. She took a risk and, almost on autopilot, reached out and brushed a few of Kate's blonde locks behind her ear as she stood next to her. This time, Kate turned her entire chair to face Megan, and slowly lifted her chin before opening her eyes to look at her. Her face read of exhaustion, but also gratitude, and what Megan pretty undoubtedly knew was desire. Still, she hated to be wrong. She looked back at Kate, standing her ground until the blonde gave her some kind of clue as to how she should proceed.

Kate stared up at Megan, hoping to God that she wasn't just one of those people who became very touchy-feely once she got close to someone. Though they weren't particularly close, considering she was her employee and Megan's rebellious nature often forced Kate to scold her, sometimes more harshly than she wanted to. Being slightly younger and feeling not quite as brilliant as she knew Megan was often led her to feel she needed to be extra tough. Right now, however, the tension was all but gone, or maybe just replaced with a different kind. Kate watched as Megan, consciously or not, licked her lips. Having studied body language, she was pretty sure she knew what that meant. She had her proof.

Kate reached out and gently took Megan's right hand, which Megan looked down at in wonder as Kate pulled her back to her knees. Once on the ground and eye level with Kate, Megan tried to steady her breathing as she continued to stare at their clasped hands. She realized Kate was not letting go, but was too overcome with nerves too look her in the eye just yet. Instead, she lifted Kate's hand to her lips and pressed a very soft kiss to the back of it. Soon she felt Kate's other hand in her hair, playing with its red strands before bringing it to her chin and lifting Megan's head. Megan focused on Kate's eyes in the dim light, seeing them clearly just as they were drawing nearer. Then they closed as Kate's plump lips crushed into her own.

Megan responded by bringing both of her hands to Kate's cheeks, stroking them with her thumbs as she moved her lips in synch with Kate's. _She tastes so good_, Megan thought. _Like plums, with a little salt on them_. Kate teased her lips open with her tongue and Megan linked it with her own. Their tongues danced together in their mouths while they continued to kiss and seemed to simultaneously realize how much they had both wanted this. Megan gave two shorter, sweet pecks before pulling away just enough to stare back into Kate's blue eyes.

"Are you okay?" Megan asked, not really sure of what to say, but feeling the need to say something.

Kate smirked, one hand still playing with Megan's hair. "You're too smart to ask such a dumb question."

Megan felt only slightly bruised, and a whole lot more turned on. She smiled as she continued, tracing her thumb over Kate's lower, poutier lip.

"I just…I wasn't expecting…"

"No?"

"Ok, well, maybe I was hoping that somehow this would happen, but no, I wasn't really expecting it to happen now."

"Shocking." Kate teased. "You're usually so direct about asking for what you want."

"Yeah, I'm not as good at asking for what I need."

Kate's eyes narrowed, half devilishly and half incredulously.

"What exactly is it that you need?" She opened her lips and let her tongue lasso Megan's thumb into her mouth, where she sucked on it, making it difficult for Megan to respond.

"Someone… to share my bed with every once in a while…even if they snore." Kate rolled her eyes and smiled as she continued to nibble Megan's thumb. "Assuming this is more than just some random thing."

"If it wasn't, it wouldn't be worth risking."

"Right. Because you're my boss, or…?"

"That, and because I haven't let anyone in for a while, and last time I did it didn't end with me feeling great about myself."

"I get that. Though right now, I think you should be feeling pretty great about yourself."

"Why's that?"

"Because nobody has gotten me this hot in…never."

"Seriously?"

Megan felt herself go a little more red, as if that were possible.

"I hope I'm not coming on too strong…"

"You always come on strong."

Megan's heart sank a little.

"But," Kate quickly noted as she played with Megan's necklace, "that's one of the things I like most about you."

"Really? You don't seem to like it when it involves work."

"That's just because I have to keep some kind of order. I have to be firm or you and everyone else wouldn't respect me. You think it's easy being a woman in this position?"

"Hell no, particularly for someone as drop dead gorgeous as you are. I completely understand why you have to play hard."

"And play careful. Which is why I wanted to be absolutely sure you felt the same way."

"Well. I do."

Megan smiled and kissed Kate again, this time putting her arms around her back and very gently pulling her in to her chest. Kate more fully embraced Megan as they kissed for what felt like a forever, before they both needed to come up for air.

"You're really good at this," Kate huffed.

"Not bad yourself," Megan almost giggled.

"You're beautiful too, you know."

Megan took compliments a little less easily than Kate did, but thanked her by planting a tiny kiss on the blonde's nose.

"Your eyes…your legs…your instincts…" Kate continued.

Megan silenced her with another few kisses, before bringing her lips to Kate's ear.

"I have all kinds of instincts you've yet to see" she whispered before whipping her tongue out to taste Kate's ear. Kate gasped.

"Show me."

"I would love to. But right now, it's nearly 3 a.m. The cleaning crew will be here in a few hours, and then our colleagues, and you and I will need to be at our best and brightest on five-or-so hours of sleep if we're going to get anywhere with this case today."

Kate loosened her grip on Megan's shoulders as she began to slip back into boss mode.

"You're right. So…"

"So we should get home and get a little bit of rest before we have to be back here. And, if this proves to be more than just some dream we're both having while sleeping at our desks, maybe I can take you out on a date before we take things further."

"Sounds like a plan. But maybe I should take you out, considering I'm the one with the bigger paycheck."

"Oh? Are we going to start that already?"

Kate nuzzled her nose into Megan's before pausing with her lips just teasingly out of reach. She whispered, "Come on. Can't we play a little with the fact that I'm your boss, technically your superior?"

"Only technically?"

Kate rolled her eyes. "I like to think we're pretty close to equal when it comes to experience and expertise."

Megan smiled. "Agreed. And yes," she kissed her, "We can play with all kinds of things. Another night."

"Tomorrow. Pending we solve our case before evening."

"Deal."

They helped each other to their feet and Megan painstakingly trotted back to her office to gather her belongings before meeting Kate back at the elevator. Before Megan could push the button, Kate stopped her and threw her arms around her, hugging her tightly. Megan couldn't remember the last time she had been given such a warm, full and genuine hug, and it made her very hopeful that what she and Kate had was much more than just a steamy sexual attraction. They could actually be friends.

Kate pulled back and brushed some of Megan's red hair behind her ear before gently kissing her on the lips.

"We still have to be careful, even though I'm clearly not taking advantage of you. It wouldn't be considered professional if…"

"I know. Though there's nothing wrong with what we're doing."

"Not at all. It will just take time to figure out how to handle it. Not necessarily hide…just… manage."

"The guys are gonna flip!" Megan appeared to relish in their male co-worker's pending shock and imminent jealousy.

Kate rolled her eyes once again before kissing Megan on the cheek and pushing the button. When they got to their cars, they hugged once more before parting and heading home.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, on about four hours of sleep and as many cups of coffee, Megan arrived just minutes after Kate, and when she passed by her office, the blonde popped her head up from her desk at the sound of Megan's heels.

"Good morning, Dr. Murphy." Megan breathed, a little more seductively than she knew was professional.

"Morning, Megan," Kate answered, pointedly. "Sleep well?"

"Not particularly," Megan replied through a smile.

Kate smirked and shifted in her chair. "Neither did I. I suggest you get to work so maybe we can get out of here a little earlier than last night."

"You got it boss."

As the day rolled on, it almost looked like they wouldn't meet their deadline. But, with the help of the brilliant and decidedly lovable Ethan, Megan was able to pull it off just before 5 p.m. After calling Bud and Samantha to go make their arrest, Megan, a little exhausted but more so relieved, lightly tapped on the glass door to Kate's office. Kate looked up briefly before saying "You can come in. Shut the door behind you."

Megan gulped and did as she was told. She walked slowly up to the front of Kate's desk as she watched the blonde continue to scrawl on the papers before her. Megan began to feel a little anxious. She folded her hands in front of her grey pencil skirt and waited for Kate to look up, which she did moments later. She leaned back in her chair and scanned Megan's body from the bottom up, taking her time. Megan shifted a little from one foot to the other until Kate finally spoke.

"Excellent job, Dr. Hunt."

Megan exhaled loudly. She hadn't realized she was holding her breath.

"You too. It was a team effort, as usual."

"Yes, but you never fail to amaze me. Had it not been for you, Doug wouldn't have gotten the justice he deserves."

Megan simply smiled, knowing it was true.

"I do what I can. Plus, I had a little extra motivation this time."

"What might that be?" Kate playfully asked.

"I believe I wrapped things up just in time to take someone out to dinner."

Kate got up from her chair and came around to the front of her desk, where she perched herself on the edge, inches away from Megan. Her tight, black silk skirt and matching button down top stretched a little as she sat, hugging her curves even tighter than usual. Megan tried not to greedily stare, but let her eyes wonder for just a moment before returning them to meet the two pools of blue in front of her.

"I think it's really sweet that you want to court me, Megan. I fully appreciate it and plan on taking you up on the offer. But I want you to know," she glanced behind them through the glass to see if anyone was watching before hooking one finger through the front of Megan's purple sweater, gently stroking her abdomen, "I'm not as hard to get as I may seem."

"…No?" Megan breathed out, her eyes narrowing as she leaned in to the touch.

"No. In fact, I can be pretty easy sometimes, under the right circumstances." She found Megan's belly button and gently placed her finger in it before pushing down a little more firmly. Megan let out a tiny moan.

Just then, Ethan opened the door. Though the two were standing at such an angle that it was unlikely he saw anything, their close proximity may have been a giveaway.

"Dr. Mur...Oh, Megan. I... Sorry, I was just bringing you one more report to sign off on before…well…"

Megan stepped aside as Kate stuck her hand out to receive the report from Ethan. "Thanks," he offered before taking a brief look back and forth between the two women and smiling a little awkwardly. Now Megan was fully aware that she was holding her breath.

"Go home, Ethan. Get some rest," Kate ordered.

"Thanks, I will. Y-you too. Goodnight ladies."

As Ethan closed the door, Megan sighed and brought her fingers to her temples, massaging them. "Are we crazy?"

"No, he's crazy for not knocking first. I have to remember to talk to him about that, _again_, on Monday."

"Do you think he saw? He probably saw."

"If he did he won't say anything. He's a keeper, that one. No matter how often he trips over his shoelaces and forgets his own name."

They both laughed softly before locking eyes. It was nice to have someone to share a laugh with at the end of the day.

"So," Kate broke in. "What are you in the mood for?"

The laughing continued as the two sat in the corner at Magastrano's Bistro, steadily working on a bottle of Malbec and two plates of steamed mussels over linguini.

"I can't believe Peter said that to you! He really thinks he's God's gift to women, doesn't he?"

"Truly," Kate agreed. "Though that was years ago, before I was Chief. He's too afraid of me now. Instead, he seems to have fully diverted his attentions to you. I don't know how you can stand working so close to him."

"Well, he's not that bad when he's not offering me tips on mothering or breathing down my neck while I'm performing cerebral dissections."

"If he tries anything more with you other than bestowing life lessons, let me know. I was never thrilled Bud assigned him to us anyway. If he makes you even the slightest bit uncomfortable, tell me and I will give him the axe."

"Possessive much?"

Kate's mouth gaped. "Not at all. I just don't mess around when it comes to sexual harassment. In my earlier years, I let things slide. I didn't realize until later how much it affected me. Now I refuse to allow anyone that works for me to have to suffer that kind of nonsense."

"I see. I like it."

"Mhm."

"So," Megan slipped her right foot out of her nude Prada pump and began sliding her toes up and down Kate's calf, "It wouldn't make you even the _slightest_ bit jealous if he asked me out?"

Kate put her wine glass down and reached across the booth for Megan's hand, taking it in hers and rubbing her thumb expertly into the palm. She watched Megan's pupils dilate.

"I wouldn't be happy about it, but at this point I'm pretty sure I'd have nothing to worry about."

"You're pretty sure of yourself, huh?"

Kate shot her a look that dripped with disbelief. Megan leaned a little closer, and whispered "You should be."

Kate relaxed and resumed rubbing Megan's palm for a moment before returning to her wine and taking a big sip.

"Finish your wine, Dr. Hunt. It's time to go home."


	4. Chapter 4

Home could have meant Kate's or Megan's, but Kate's was closer. Megan nervously played with the cuffs of her jacket while she waited for Kate to unlock the door. Inside, the place was decorated rather cozily, something Megan hadn't really expected, though she hadn't been sure what to expect. Perhaps a little more modern, with some expensive, framed artwork on the walls? Instead, they held a few photos of what Megan assumed were family or friends, at barbeques, graduations and various other gatherings, though they didn't appear to be recent. The tan leather couches held multi-colored pillows and plush looking throws, perfect to veg out on after a long day at the office. The kitchen's black marble countertops didn't quite match the rest of the décor, but were a little more of what Megan would have imagined Kate's style to be.

She followed Kate into the kitchen, not sure what else to do. The blonde brought out a large bottle of Perrier and took down two glasses from a cabinet before pouring one for each of them. She slid one over to Megan, who smiled and thanked her politely. Suddenly, their brazenness seemed to be put on hold as both women appeared to falter for direction.

"Your place is very warm," Megan offered.

"It does the job," Kate replied, a little less confident than earlier.

Megan decided a couch would make both of them much more comfortable than this stand-off in the kitchen, so she made her way over to one of them and Kate followed.

"Are those your parents?" Megan asked as she kicked off her heels, pulled her feet up underneath her and sunk into the couch. She gestured toward two framed photos of a man and a woman on the coffee table, both in uniform.

"Yes. Both Army, high-ranking, still active."

"Do you see them often?"

"They're stationed overseas, so, no."

"Well, depending on your relationship, that could be a good or a bad thing. I sometimes wish I could send my mother overseas."

Kate laughed, but appeared somber. "I'm close with my mother. My father's a different story."

"Classic military dad? Strict?"

"And closed-minded." Kate swallowed. "Now that I'm an adult I have no qualms about doing whatever I want. But if I was a teenager and this" she gestured back and forth between she and Megan, "were happening…I don't know."

"You think he would have disowned you?"

"He still might."

"Well," Megan gently stroked the back of Kate's arm and watched as little goose bumps formed like specks of powdered sugar. "You don't have to worry about that right now."

Kate smiled and pulled her feet up on the couch as well before leaning in to give Megan the most tender kiss she had ever received in her life. As soft and sweet as it was, it almost knocked the wind out of her. Megan reached up and took hold of Kate's jaw, gently thumbing the sexy cleft in her chin. Kate steadily turned more ferocious, shoving her tongue in Megan's mouth as she pushed her back against the pillows. She circled her tongue around Megan's, then dragged it across the roof of her mouth, making Megan dizzy. She had to pull back a little.

"Ah…wow…"

"Mm."

"I am...so into you, Kate. Really, I want nothing more than to just…everything. But I'm afraid I'm not sure what to do."

"You're doing well so far."

"Thanks, but I…I just haven't been with anyone in so long, and I've never been with a woman before."

"Neither have I. Instincts. Remember?"

Megan smiled at Kate's eagerness. She ran her fingers through the blonde's locks and kissed her on the nose once again.

"You like my nose, don't you?"

"I like your whole face."

Kate chuckled loudly. She sat up a little straighter and took Megan's hands.

"We don't have to rush. It's just a little difficult, when I've wanted this for so long..."

"Trust me, I feel the same way. God, you in those purple scrubs in the lab..."

Kate looked baffled. "Purple scrubs? I spend hundreds on second-hand Chanel and you're telling me all I need to turn you on are purple scrubs?"

Megan shrugged. "I appreciate couture just as much as you do. I'm just saying…you look hot in anything."

Kate rolled her eyes and curled up next to Megan, resting her head on her shoulder. She sighed.

Megan relished in the weight and warmth of Kate's body against hers. It sent waves of pleasure through her legs, into the soles of her feet. She wanted Kate, badly. But five and a half years was more than a dry spell, and she wasn't quite ready to be that vulnerable again. She hoped she would be soon, and hoped Kate was really okay with waiting.

"Wanna watch Letterman?" Kate whispered in a sleepy voice that reassured Megan she was indeed okay.

"Actually, I prefer Chelsea. Gotta give the woman her props."

"Do you pick up this lingo from your daughter?"

Megan playfully nibbled Kate's ear in retaliation.

"Hey!" Kate squirmed. "You can't do that if you want me to be good."

"Sorry."

"Don't be." She turned on the TV and pulled the blanket over them, and before the end of the monologue, they were both asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Megan woke to the unfamiliar sound of pots and pans clamoring in the kitchen. She shifted and felt the absence of Kate's body on top of hers. It was amazing how in just one night their shapes had found the perfect way to fit together. It was also slightly terrifying how good that felt, and how keenly she missed the feeling of Kate's hot breath against her chest.

She slowly lifted herself onto her elbows and peeked over the back of the couch to spy on Kate in the kitchen. She could see her from behind as she appeared to be collecting ingredients from the refrigerator, softly running through a list of things out loud. Megan tried not to giggle at the fact that Kate talked to herself, something she was also apt to do when she was alone. She threw the blanket off and sauntered around the counter to where Kate was diligently working.

"Morning."

Kate responded by closing the refrigerator door and facing Megan, whose jaw had now all but hit the floor. From the couch, Megan hadn't been able to see that Kate had stripped off her skirt and was now only wearing the black, silk button down, left open to expose her matching black lace bra and underwear. Her body was absolutely heavenly, deliciously curvaceous. Her breasts were much larger than Megan's, her abs were more toned, and her thighs appeared to just barely kiss each other. Megan only entertained her feelings of insecurity for a moment before returning to being completely stunned by Kate's beauty. Her make-up was a little smeared from the night before, and her hair was messed in such a way that anyone would think they had fucked all night.

"Good morning to you," Kate cheerfully replied as she moved to the ingredients on the counter. "I hope you're not a picky eater. I like to get a little creative with my cooking."

Megan was speechless. She stood just watching Kate move, the flow of the black silk moving like water rippling over her back. She lowered her eyes to where it ended, stopping just short enough to reveal the protruding curves of Kate's ass cheeks. Megan suddenly had the urge to bite down on one of them, and marveled at how quickly these urges seemed to be breaking her out of her sexless slump.

"Do you like dill?" She finally stopped moving and faced Megan, holding a whisk in one hand and a sprig of herbs in the other. Megan took a deep breath, stepped forward and took each item out of Kate's hands, placing them both on the counter. Kate didn't put up a fight, and actually began to smile as Megan returned her hands to Kate's waist, staring at her abs intently as she ran her fingertips up and down the sides of them.

"That tickles!"

Megan smirked. "I'll have to remember that for later."

Kate put her arms around Megan's neck and pulled her in for a kiss. The two softly ruffled each other's lips until Megan used her teeth to gently tug on Kate's lower lip, nipping it just enough to leave the faintest mark.

"For someone who wants to wait, you really know how to tease a girl."

"Look at you!" Megan retorted, pulling back just enough so that she could look back down at the lingerie that hid what few parts were still left to the imagination. "I'm a tease? So much for waiting. You planned this, didn't you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"There's no way you didn't. You had to know this would drive me crazy."

"I just took off my skirt and then decided to make breakfast before jumping in the shower. I'm completely fine with…"

Megan silenced her again with a kiss, this time much more aggressive. She curiously licked the inside of Kate's mouth, trying to commit every taste bud to memory. She boldly sent her hands around to Kate's ass and squeezed the two globes firmly. Kate moaned deeply into her mouth as she buried her fingers in Megan's hair and Megan continued to knead her cheeks.

Suddenly Megan pulled away, gripping her left hand with her right and grimacing. Her paresthesia had a habit of returning at the most inopportune times. She looked up at Kate's flushed face and felt embarrassed at having interrupted the moment.

"I'm so sorry…I'm not…"

"Megan…" Kate soothed, reaching out for the hand and holding it gently between her own two. She gave Megan her most reassuring look, the same one she'd given her a few times back in the office. Then she raised the hand to her lips and kissed each fingertip before slipping them in and out of her mouth, coating them with the thinnest layer of saliva, then blowing on them coolly. Megan's eyelids fluttered.

"How…in the hell…is this happening…?"

"Too much?" Kate teased. "You want to wait until…"

Megan put two fingers up to Kate's lips. "No more waiting," she said before quickly replacing her fingers with her mouth.

Between kisses, Kate panted, "Are you sure?" to which Megan replied "Uh huh."

As Kate reached to undo the first button on Megan's sweater, a phone rang in the living room.

"Shit," Megan scowled. "I'm so sorry. It's Lacey." She could tell by the ringtone.

"Perfect timing." Kate laughed softly and appeared to not be too upset as Megan went over and picked up the phone.

"Hi Lacey! What's up?"

"Mom, why aren't you home? It's Saturday morning."

"Um, what do you mean? How do you know I'm not home?"

"You gave me a key, remember? Dad had his Bitch Barbie of a girlfriend stay over last night and I couldn't take her trying to be all 'happy family' with us this morning, so I thought I'd come have breakfast with you. But you're not here."

"Okay, first of all, I know she's annoying, but don't call her Bitch Barbie. That's not nice." Kate put her hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh. Megan glared at her. "And second, I'm really sorry I can't have breakfast with you this morning, but I will happily take a rain check for tomorrow."

"Fine, but you're still not answering my question. Why aren't you here? It's way early. Please don't tell me you're at work on a Saturday. That would just be tragic."

"No no, not at work. I just...had a sleepover last night." Kate thought Megan looked proud of herself for coming up with that one.

"A sleepover? Mom, you're a grown woman. What woman your age has sleepovers?"

"Well… it's not exactly…like…that kind of thing. It's…"

"Did you hook up with someone last night, Mom? Gross."

Indignantly, Megan scoffed "Not gross, and no, I didn't hook up with any…listen, I don't have to explain every detail of my whereabouts, just know that I love you and I will definitely pick you up and take you to Jordi's Diner at 10 a.m. tomorrow, if you're up for it."

"That's cool I guess. Sorry I didn't call first."

"It's alright honey, you can come over any time. My home is your home."

"And I'm sorry for saying gross. Have fun, Mom. Even you deserve to get some."

Megan smacked herself in the forehead.

"Bye Lacey, love you!" She quickly hung up.

Megan slowly looked over to Kate to gauge her reaction. Kate's face was red and her shoulders were shaking from trying to hold in her laughter.

"That was not funny."

Kate let out a burst of giggles and a tiny snort before composing herself. "I'm sorry, but it was. You're so cute."

"How is me bumbling like an idiot, trying to justify myself to my daughter, in any way cute?" Megan asked as she returned to the kitchen.

"I wish you could see yourself. You're fucking adorable."

"Nice."

Kate sort of timidly inched back up to Megan, unsure just how shaken she was by the conversation. What if she'd realized how difficult it might be to explain this to her daughter? With an already rocky relationship, this kind of information might create more awkwardness between them. But these were warrantless fears at the moment.

Kate gently rested her hands on Megan's shoulders. "Well, you were honest with her. You did sleep over, and we didn't hook up. Yet."

Megan's frown began to disappear at the thought. She reached up, took Kate's hands and guided them down the sides of her body, smoothing them over the purple cashmere before bringing them to clasp behind her. Megan then grasped Kate's shoulders while bringing her lips to her neck, where she began to gently suck. Kate let out the tiniest, sexiest squeak. Megan trailed kisses up to Kate's earlobe, where she tugged and nibbled before whispering "I'm not that hungry right now. Maybe we can delay breakfast?"

"Uh huh," Kate sighed.

Kate brought her hands back around to the front of Megan's sweater and locked eyes with her, gaining permission before unbuttoning it slowly from top to bottom. Megan wore a purple bra that matched the sweater, but with red lace flowers embroidered on it. It held her smaller yet very perky breasts perfectly. Kate couldn't resist bending down and licking across the top of one of them, right along the edge of the cup.

"Oh my god," Megan hissed. Kate smiled as she kissed her way from breast, to sternum, up to the collarbone, where she bit down before lavishing extra gentle kisses, then continued up the side of Megan's neck to her ear.

"Come with me."

She took Megan's hand and practically sprinted with her in tow to the bedroom. After flinging open the door, she rather gracefully fell back onto the bed, pulling Megan with her. Megan laughed, "Jesus, you have a lot of energy in the mornings."

"This is when I'm at my best. That's why it's so hard to get anything past me."

"And yet somehow I still manage."

Kate playfully pinched Megan's arm.

"Ow!" she yelped as Kate rolled her onto her back and straddled her.

Megan sat up enough to let Kate slide the sweater down her arms before throwing it across the room. She shrugged her own shirt off and let it join Megan's on the floor. The two were now topless except for their bras, and Kate leaned down to let their stomachs lay against each other. The closeness made Megan's skin heat up, and Kate responded to the warmth by kissing her passionately. Megan tried to run her fingers through Kate's hair, but Kate pushed her hands back down to the bed, gently pinning them there. Megan made a sweet sound in the back of her throat that didn't mean no.

"I've wanted to do this so many times," Kate quietly admitted. "Alone together in the lab, working late. You'd be talking red blood cells and carcinogens, and all I could focus on was how good you look with your hair pulled back, in that white lab coat…"

"See! Purple scrubs, lab coats…"

Megan stopped as Kate lifted her hips while reaching down to unzip the side of Megan's skirt. Megan swallowed hard, but lifted herself up enough for Kate to the slide the gray fabric down over her thighs, knees, and onto the floor.

"Now we're even," Kate smiled.

"You sure you've never done this before?"

Kate paused, rolled her eyes to the ceiling, then admitted "Not to this extent, no."

Megan turned redder. "What does that mean?"

"I kind of made out with a friend back in grad school, but it was in a bar, and there were not the same things going on in my body as there are right now with you," she assured her.

Megan raised an eyebrow. "So, you've at least got a little bit of experience? You said…"

"Megan, I have never done what I'm about to do with you with any other woman. Does that make you happy? Because it makes me nervous, and I'm trying hard not to show it."

Megan smiled. "You're doing well, Dr. Murphy," she offered as she tickled Kate's abs again. Kate giggled and yelled "Stop! Shut up."

Megan laughed and pulled her back down to her lips. This time they kissed until they were both shaking, Kate still straddling Megan's pelvis, grinding into her ever so gently. Megan reached behind Kate and pretty easily unhooked her bra, which fell onto her chest. Kate threw the garment somewhere before lifting herself up to give Megan a clearer view of what she had uncovered.

_Breasts as close to perfect as you could possibly get_, Megan thought. Their roundness came to a point at nipples the color of nude pantyhose, which stood taut with arousal. Megan shifted and caught one nipple in her mouth, sucking gently at first, then harder, as Kate arched her back. Megan squeezed the other with her hand, fitting the nipple between her thumb and middle finder, rolling it back and forth.

"Oh my god Megan" Kate slurred out in one breath. She continued to grind down on Megan's waist, harder and faster. Soon she was reaching down between them to unhook Megan's bra, which Megan thankfully helped with. Kate sat straight up, making Megan grunt at the loss of Kate's nipple in her mouth. She looked down at Megan's breasts, deliciously round, her mauve-colored nipples hard, and cupped both of them before kneading gently. Megan shuddered and closed her eyes. Kate began trailing kisses down Megan's neck, stopping to suck on her collarbone, then down to her breasts. She flicked one of the little buds with her tongue before biting down just hard enough to make Megan's hips jerk. She took turns licking them before continuing to kiss downward. She stopped again at her belly button, where she lapped at the shallow hole for a few moments, making Megan alternate between giggles and gasps. She finally stopped just above Megan's panty line, kissing her there where skin and silk met, very, very slowly.

"Kate." Megan whispered, a little bit of questioning lingering in her voice.

Kate looked up at her. Megan's face, soft cheeks, pretty little nose and glowing green eyes were sending Kate the most adoring of looks, mixed with only a hint of hesitation.

"Do you want…?"

Megan nodded yes.

Kate kissed her hip once more before carefully sliding Megan's panties off and to the floor, revealing a neatly trimmed triangle of soft, reddish brown hair. Kate ran her fingers through it gently, which made Megan all but come undone. She, instinctively, arched her back and spread her legs just slightly. Kate traced her fingernails up and down Megan's legs, grabbing at her toned calf muscles. Then she leaned down, inhaling the sweet, sticky aroma emanating from Megan. She nuzzled her nose into the hair and quickly lashed out her tongue to barely tease her lips. Megan was squirming.

"Please."

Kate looked up at Megan devilishly, turned on by the unexpected urgency in her voice. Then she spread Megan's legs a little more before fully pressing her tongue against her labia. Megan moaned loudly.

Kate relished the taste as she began to lick through the wetness. She swept her tongue from perineum to clit several times, poking it just barely inside as she passed the entrance. Megan's legs were now flailing, so Kate grabbed them and threw her ankles up over her shoulders. Megan gasped at this. Kate began to circle Megan's clit and then darted her tongue up and down against the small, pink mound.

"Holy…oh my god…"

Megan's hips bucked wildly against Kate's mouth, causing Kate to hold them still as she continued to lick. Megan wrapped her ankles more tightly behind Kate's head and dug her nails into her shoulders firmly. Kate paused with her mouth still on Megan's cunt and brought one finger to rest just outside the entrance. She tilted her blue eyes up to catch Megan's gaze for just a moment.

"Please….yes…more…" Megan assured.

Kate began licking again as she slid one finger in, followed by another. Megan panted hard between babbles that were difficult to make out. Kate flexed her fingers back and forth, trying to explore every nook inside Dr. Hunt before easily sliding them in and out, as she continued to tease her clit with her tongue.

"…oh yeah…"

Kate pumped a little faster and sped up the flicking of her tongue as Megan rode her face. Within a few seconds, she was howling, crying out as she came. Kate lapped up the extra wetness hungrily before placing a final kiss on her clit and slowly removing her fingers.

"Oh my god…oh my god…"

Kate licked her fingers, to which Megan let out one more "oh my god" before motioning for her to come closer. Kate wore a wide grin on her face, appearing (very deservedly) pleased with herself.

"Jesus fucking Christ."

"Listen to you."

"Well…god."

Kate glowed as she curled up next to Megan and kissed her on the cheek, draping one arm across her chest. "I guess I did alright then?"

Megan looked at her with narrowed eyes and stole her line: "You're too smart to be asking such a dumb question."

"Ha."

"Why did I want to wait again?" Megan was still trying to catch her breath.

"I couldn't tell you." Kate wiped some of Megan's sweaty red locks off her forehead before kissing her there too.

Megan rolled onto her side and stared into Kate's eyes. Kate could still read much desire there, along with what she thought was gratitude, and maybe something more.

"Thank you" Megan whispered before kissing her on the lips, sucking past her own taste in order to fully enjoy Kate's own essence.

"Mm, no. Thank you. You're amazing."

"You're amazing!" Megan squealed, far from her usual aloof self.

Kate kissed her freckled nose several times, then her cheek, and her chin. Megan played with Kate's blonde curls and pulled her in closer to kiss her lips again.

"I can't get enough of you."

"You can have much more of me," Kate whispered.

Megan gulped.

"Yeah?"

"I told you I was easy."

Megan smiled. "Okay," she said sweetly. Kate's heart almost broke with how adorable she was. How could this powerful, genius, usually impenetrable woman also be so unbelievably precious?

Megan lifted herself up on her elbows before turning around and throwing one leg over Kate's thighs, eventually straddling her. _God, she's gorgeous_, Kate thought as she watched Megan's hair cascade down her shoulders. She leaned in to devour Kate's lips again, kissing her while grinding steadily against her and tracing her nails up and down her arms, leaving goose bump trails. She looked down to see Kate's nipples go rock hard, and pushed her breasts together so she could more easily go back and forth between the two. She licked and nibbled them until Kate was scratching her own nails up and down Megan's back. Megan arched slightly at the sensation, then raised herself up once more to be at eye level. Kate's lips quivered.

"What are you doing?" she gasped.

"I want to see you."

Megan reached down between them and coaxed Kate to raise her hips so she could remove her underwear. Underneath the black lace, Kate's blonde hair glistened with her wetness.

"…wow."

"I want you all over me," Kate admitted.

Megan slowly dragged her fingernails down through the wet, blonde curls.

"Where do you want me first?" Megan teased.

Kate jerked her hips up, causing Megan's fingers to slip lower, sliding over her lips. Megan gasped. Kate shuddered as Megan began playing with her labia, rubbing them together, spreading the wetness all over. She moaned as she circled her hips in response.

"You like this?"

"Yes."

Megan then pushed lightly inside and flexed one finger inside the entrance, remembering what she had liked, feeling up the ridges and curves within. Kate wrapped her arms behind Megan's back and pushed forward, forcing Megan's finger even deeper inside. Megan gasped and marveled at how warm Kate was, and how wet she was, all for her. She added two more fingers at Kate's insistence, and then began to pump harder and faster than she even thought she could. Kate wrapped her arms and legs tighter behind Megan and rode her firmly.

"Yes! That's so good, so good," she cried.

Megan licked the sweat from her neck and bit down hard enough to leave a mark. Kate bucked even harder at this, several more times, as Megan used her thumb to brush over her clit. Soon Kate threw her head back and shrieked as she came, the force of which practically shot Megan's hand out from inside of her.

"Fuck" Kate groaned.

"Oh my god, Kate."

Kate laughed in delirium as she leaned back against the headboard, panting hard, beads of sweat dripping down her naked chest. Megan just stared at her in awe.

"You're unbelievable," Megan whispered.

"You're a goddess," Kate insisted.

Megan looked more than a little pleased with herself now.

Kate reached forward and pulled her towards her. Megan kissed the blonde's temple, then her cheek, and finally, once she turned her head, her ever-juicy lips.

"I'm gonna want to do this again," Megan admitted.

Kate laughed. "I would hope so."

"Really. Who knew being a lesbian was so much better? I mean, come on."

"Are we lesbians now?" Kate genuinely wasn't sure.

"I'm pretty sure that's what this would be called, yeah."

"Do we need to call it something?"

Megan frowned. "No, I mean…I don't know. Now you're confusing me."

Kate smiled and kissed Megan quickly before she could have any doubts about how she felt.

"I'm just saying, I don't know if one—very, very good…amazing—lesbian sex session makes us lesbians."

"Well what does then?"

"I have no idea. Trading our heels for Birkenstocks?"

Now Megan rolled her eyes. "Way to go for the stereotype. Come on, we don't have to be those kind of lesbians, not that there's anything wrong with them. That's just not us."

"Maybe we're bisexual, considering we've both been with men."

"Maybe. But I don't think I'd want to be with a man ever again," Megan admitted.

Kate's eyebrows rose, along with the corners of her mouth. "Really?"

"What's the point?"

Kate licked Megan from her chin to her nose. "Agreed," she whispered.

"So…does this mean you're my girlfriend?"

"Wow, you like labels, don't you?" Kate teased.

Megan felt a little nervous by the response, but answered, "I'm a scientist. Can I help it?"

Kate rolled over onto her stomach and ran her fingers through Megan's very tousled hair. "Do you want to be my girlfriend?"

Megan paused only briefly, scanning Kate's eyes for signs of how she should answer, and then went with how she felt. "Yes."

Kate grinned. "Okay."

Megan sighed in relief.

"As if I was considering anything else," Kate added.

Megan guffawed. "You just have to be difficult, don't you?"

"I'm not that bad."

"No, you're not."

Kate laughed. "We're so adorable it's nauseating."

She kissed Megan several more times before suggesting, "Hungry now?" Megan still hadn't finished with Kate, but knew there would be much more time to explore later. Right now, she couldn't ignore the grumble in her stomach.

"Starving" she smiled. Kate threw on a robe and lent one to Megan. Then they made their way into the kitchen, where Megan sat on a stool, watching Kate work, the first time anyone had made her breakfast in her adult life.


	6. Chapter 6

"I've never tasted an omelet so good. Ever. I didn't know eggs could get this fluffy." Megan marveled.

Kate rolled her eyes. "That's the sex talking. But thanks."

"No really. These are great" Megan said with her mouth half full.

Kate watched with pleasure as she devoured the meal.

"So tomorrow…Lacey…you think she's going to ask more questions?"

"Probably," Megan sighed. "None of which I am prepared to answer. Though I guess I should figure it out, since I plan on keeping you around for a while."

Kate smirked.

"You could just come with me."

"You think I'll be Bitch Barbie number two?"

Megan laughed hard and covered her mouth. "No way. You're prettier than Barbie."

"What a fantastic compliment," Kate joked. "Let's write that one down. Put it in a Hallmark card."

Megan licked her lips and scrunched up her nose in that cute, teasing way that she often did before leaning across the counter to give Kate a small kiss.

"You ever think of having kids?" she asked as she sat back on her stool.

"Not really," Kate answered quickly. "I like kids. I just never envisioned having enough time for them."

"It's not easy," Megan relented.

"I'm sure. Plus, I was never with anyone I could imagine raising a child with, and there was no way I wanted to do it by myself." Kate seemed to want to say more on that subject, but didn't. Megan didn't push. "But Lacey seems like a great girl."

"She is. Pre-teen moodiness aside."

"I'll come to breakfast eventually. You two just do the mother-daughter thing tomorrow."

"I'm getting better and better at it," Megan smiled.

After washing the dishes, the two ventured back to the bedroom, where neither really felt like putting their clothes back on.

"Shower?" Kate suggested.

"That sounds good. I'm feeling pretty grimy at this point"

Kate stepped into the bathroom and dropped her robe to the floor before looking back over her shoulder to smirk playfully at Megan, who just realized she'd be joining her.

"Oh…"

"You coming?"

Megan scanned Kate's naked body, giving special attention to the trails of glistening stickiness that ran down her thighs and the place they trailed from. She stepped into the bathroom and slipped out of her powder blue robe, letting it pool around her feet. Kate wasn't shy about taking in what she saw in front of her either. She reached out to stroke Megan's bare shoulders, smoothing her hands over them. She trailed them down her to her breasts and held them like they were the most delicate things she'd ever been entrusted with. She watched as Megan's chest rose and fell, her skin still glistening from the morning's sweat. Then she brought her hands and eyes back up to Megan's face.

All the looking they had done covertly in the office had now been traded in for total indulgence, and it felt especially good to be able to look into Megan's eyes like this. Megan tipped her head forward and brought her lips to meet Kate's, unable to keep herself away for a second longer. The two frantically pushed their bodies into one another, gripping breasts, buttocks, chins and hair, just trying to get as close as they could without devouring each other. Kate stumbled backwards toward the shower and slid open the door to turn on the water, all while expertly maintaining contact with Megan. Once inside, Kate stepped backwards into the stream while Megan stayed in the cold until Kate pulled her flush with her own body. They wrapped their arms around each other while the warm water and steam rained down on them. Kate thought if she could just stay like this for the rest of the day, she'd be in heaven. She pulled back to look into Megan's green irises and saw such a completely relaxed, worriless Megan Hunt, a version of the tireless, absolutely driven woman she never thought she'd get to see.

"Hey" tumbled out of her mouth like air.

"Hi" Megan lightly laughed in response.

Kate smoothed the water back over Megan's head several times, to which Megan closed her eyes, appearing to be in pure bliss. Kate squeezed some shampoo into her hand and began to wash Megan's gorgeously cut and colored locks, massaging the lather into her scalp.

"That feels so good…" Megan delighted.

Kate rinsed her off before lathering up her own golden mane, while Megan playfully washed her body. The two teased one another like this for a while, until the water turned almost cold. Kate shut it off and opened the door, reaching for a towel, which she draped around Megan. After drying off, Megan sat on the bed while she watched Kate rummage through her closet trying to find her something to wear.

"It doesn't have to be anything fancy. I'm just going home to work on my taxes."

"Sounds thrilling," Kate's voice echoed from the walk-in.

She emerged with a pair of jeans and an Eagles t-shirt. Megan's mouth hung open.

"Okay, I'm surprised you even own anything like that."

"What? I'm a huge sports fan."

"Really?"

"Yeah. See, there's still a lot you don't know about me."

"I'm sure. Can we go to a game?"

"I have season tickets. It's required."

"Excellent."

Kate handed Megan the clothes, and Megan put them next to her on the bed. She looked up at Kate and with one quick tug pulled her towel off, leaving her naked again.

"We just showered," Kate insisted, though the pitch of her voice gave away her excitement.

Megan leaned forward and laid a soft kiss on her stomach. Then she began licking, sucking, and full on making out with her stomach, before lavishing the same on Kate's hip bones, her upper thighs, everywhere but where she needed it most. Kate's knees began to buckle.

"Shit," Kate breathed.

Megan pulled her onto the bed and dropped onto the floor next to it. She kneeled in front of Kate and pulled her to the edge of the bed. Kate breathed in sharply once she realized what Megan was about to do. She lifted her head so she could watch.

"Just relax," Megan hummed in her sexiest tone. She kissed Kate's knees and then very slowly made her way back up her thighs. She pulled her legs around her shoulders and took a good look at what was sitting right in front of her face. Kate's golden curls looked extra soft after their shower together. Megan teased Kate's labia with her tongue, spreading the lips apart, lapping at the spaces between them, sucking on them until Kate was writhing and pulling hard at the sheets on either side of her.

"Please, Megan."

"Please what?" Megan teased, letting the vibrations of her voice reverberate against Kate's dripping cunt.

"Please…fuck me."

That word went straight between Megan's legs, and she gave in. She sucked gently on Kate's clit before licking it faster, then faster, just as she had enjoyed. Soon Kate was tugging at her hair just hard enough to encourage Megan to go faster, and she did. She alternated between licking her clit and shoving her tongue as far as she could inside of Kate, which made her pull her hair even harder. Megan slid one finger inside as she continued to lick furiously, and soon felt Kate tighten around her. The grip contracted several times before Megan's face and hand were soaked in Kate's juices.

"Un…fucking…believable…" Kate breathlessly moaned.

Megan licked her lips and finger and then wiped the rest on the towel she still had wrapped around her. She gave Kate one final lick before using the tip of the towel to dry her off as well.

"See. Still clean."

"Right," Kate laughed.

Megan laid down next to the fiery blonde and nibbled on her ear.

"Wow, you're really horny."

"I told you. It had been too long."

"How long?" Kate had to ask.

"Close to six years…" Megan seemed a little embarrassed to share.

"What? How?"

"What do you mean how? It didn't happen."

"How could you not have sex for six years?"

"_Almost_ six years, and not happily."

"I don't get it. You're sexy as hell."

"Hey, I didn't say people didn't try. I just wasn't interested."

"So you're picky. I shouldn't be surprised."

"What about you? You're not picky?"

Kate looked away for a minute, then back with a smile that seemed a little apologetic and a bit more embarrassed. Megan's stomach cramped. She wiped Kate's hair off her face and kissed her softly.

"Nevermind. I don't need to know. Unless or until you feel like telling me."

"Thanks," Kate whispered. She kissed Megan back, running her tongue along her lower lip and teeth before sucking on her top lip.

The two slowly got dressed, and Kate promised Megan she looked absolutely ravishing in her football get-up. Megan almost didn't want to put her jacket over it, considering how excited it seemed to make Kate. She scanned the apartment and rounded up all her personal belongings before Kate walked her to the door.

"So I'll see you Monday," Kate noted.

"Bright and early boss." She paused. "That's kind of weird, huh?"

Kate chuckled. "It is…inappropriate. But, what can we do?"

"Not let it stop us from continuing on, business as usual. Only when you're yelling at me from now on, I'll know there are plenty of things I can do to make up for it."

Kate rolled her eyes.

"You know, your eyes are gonna get stuck like that one day" Megan playfully scolded. Kate lightly punched her in the arm.

"Hey!"

"I'll text you."

"Alright," Megan smiled, then she leaned in and gave her one more long, delicious kiss before going on her way.


	7. Chapter 7

Megan sat curled up in the white linen arm chair in her den, under a burgundy chenille throw, in some grey sweatpants and Kate's Eagles t-shirt, sorting through her financials without really seeing them. She cleaned the lenses on her reading glasses, but that didn't help her focus. In all honesty, she hadn't really planned on working on them from the get go. She just needed to get back into her own space to reflect on what had transpired. She had quickly gone from thinking she was most likely imagining Kate was checking her out to having the most incredible sex she'd had in her life with her. She had heard jokes over the years about "U-Haul lesbians" jumping into bed and into a relationship all at once, and figured they fit the bill. Still, as fast as it may have looked on the surface, the feelings and the build-up had been there all along.

She thought back to her first day on the job, when she heard Kate's name and felt the power that people attributed to her. Before she even laid eyes on her, Megan had felt some sort of energy falling into place. When they finally did meet it wasn't under the friendliest of circumstances. Megan knew she was overstepping her bounds, causing a ruckus, and would be under heavy scrutiny. But when Kate reprimanded her it never felt like she was in jeopardy, or even like Kate really wanted to say no to her requests. It seemed to be more of a challenge. All Kate had asked was that she go about things according to procedure, and when Megan couldn't do that, Kate inevitably, though begrudgingly, admitted that she had been right. The two began to build trust right from the beginning. Now that their relationship was becoming much more multi-layered, Megan prayed she could still rely on that trust.

It was nearing 10 o'clock and she was on her second cup of chamomile tea. Just as her head started to nod, her phone beeped. She lazily picked it up and checked the screen. One new message, from Kate.

_You still up?_

_Yes, barely. _Megan wrote back.

_Did you get a lot of work done?_

_A decent amount._ She didn't want to admit otherwise.

_Good. _

_What are you up to?_

_Just lying in bed. Thinking._

_Good thoughts?_

_Very good :-)_

Megan chuckled at the emoticon. _Anything in particular?_

_You, of course._

Megan swallowed. She felt herself getting warmer beneath the blanket.

_I've been thinking about you too. I'm still wearing your shirt._

_Just the shirt?_

_Yep. _She lied. She thought this kind of fibbing was probably not against the rules.

_Hot. _

_What are you wearing?_ Megan couldn't believe what this was turning into.

_I prefer to sleep in nothing. _

Megan gulped, although she expected the answer.

_I wish I was there to see._

_I wish you were too._

Megan had to take her pants off now. She was sweating. She stripped down to her underwear but kept the shirt on as she relocated to the bedroom. After a few minutes of lying on the plush comforter with her eyes closed, her phone beeped again.

_So, in those six years, how did you keep yourself from going completely insane?_

Megan smirked at how relentless Kate was.

_Are we really doing this?_

_What?_

_About to have sex through texting._

_I believe it's called "sexting." Haven't you heard?_

_I can't call it that and still keep my dignity._

_Call it whatever you want, but I want to know what you're doing with your hands right now._

_Texting. _Megan teased.

_You have two hands. Make use of them. _Kate demanded.

Megan was tempted, but decided to leave Dr. Murphy wanting more.

_I'm not that multi-talented, sorry. You'll just have to help me with this the next time I see you._

_You're terrible. _

_You like it._

_Goodnight Megan. xo_

_Goodnight :)_


	8. Chapter 8

"Who is he? Come on, seriously?"

"Lacey, let me figure out what's going on in my life before I make it your business, okay? I don't want to be like your father."

Megan knew she would never be like him, bringing a different woman home every other month. She also knew that she should just get telling Lacey out of the way. But even though she felt very strongly about her and Kate, it was so new that she didn't feel right bringing it out in the open yet.

"Mom, you're no fun. I thought you wanted us to be closer?"

"Lacey, please. You know I do. This is just so new for me. I haven't told anyone, but when I feel ready, you'll be the first to know. I promise."

Lacey couldn't help but smile. She was happy her mom actually had something else going on in her life besides work.

"Okay. Can you at least tell me if he's cute?"

_He._ She guessed she couldn't blame her own daughter for not questioning. She just glared at Lacey, who rolled her eyes and turned back to her pancakes.

"Thank you." Megan felt very relieved.

Kate hadn't heard much from Megan on Sunday, just a few texts back and forth to relay how breakfast had gone. She couldn't blame Megan for not coming out to Lacey yet. She couldn't even imagine coming out to her parents, now or in the future, but she knew that wouldn't be fair to Megan. As much as she missed them sometimes, right now she was very glad they were stationed so far away.

As she sat at her desk, bracing for the hectic Monday that was sure to be served up to them, she watched the clock on the wall strike 9 a.m. She held her breath as she heard the familiar clicking of heels step out of the elevator and grow louder as they made their way towards her office. She looked up just in time to see Megan's frame enter her door. She had to remind herself to breathe as she took in the sight. Megan wore an orange trench coat that hid whatever tantalizing skirt and curve-hugging sweater she was wearing beneath it. The ensemble just revealed her legs as they gracefully stemmed down into her navy pumps. Her hair fell perfectly around her shoulders, only lightly tousled from the wind. Her cheeks were a bit flushed, but whether it was from the crisp air or something else, she couldn't tell. All she knew was that the sparkle in her green eyes as she smiled good morning at Kate made her realize how much she had missed her in the short time they'd been apart, and it made her feel equal parts wonderful and insane.

"Hi," Megan practically whispered.

"Good morning, Dr. Hunt," Kate replied, elbows on her desk with her hands clasped in front of her.

"Anything come across your desk for me yet?"

"Not yet. Soon enough, I'm sure."

Megan nodded slowly, continuing to smile. Kate tried not to let the corners of her mouth shake too much.

"Well then…I'll see you later. Have a good day."

"You too," Kate breathed.

The rest of the day was indeed spent trying to keep up with all of the calls that were coming in. At one point Megan had to decide between taking on the case of a young woman who had been found dead in her car in her driveway, and an older man who had died presumably while experimenting with auto-erotic asphyxiation, but one could never be sure with those things. She opted to focus on the young woman first. It was particularly difficult as her husband and nine year old daughter waited in the lobby to hear the results. She had to tell them it wouldn't be clear for some time, and the husband's ire at this was both heartbreaking and suspicious.

The bullet to the left temple was the undeniable cause of death, but Megan continued to scan the body for clues for a motive, combing through her hair, analyzing fibers found on the seatbelt, hoping for a DNA sample. After everyone else had left, she continued to jump back and forth from the table to the microscope. Eventually she tucked the body away for the night, but continued to ponder the strange markings on the clothes and other belongings found in the car.

"Megan?"

Megan jumped as she looked up to see Kate standing in the door to the lab. She had been so completely absorbed in the case she had literally tuned out all sound and all consideration that there may have been anyone left there with her.

"Sorry. I didn't want to disturb you earlier."

Megan sighed as she smiled. "Thank you for that."

Kate came closer and peered through the microscope herself. "How's it going?"

"Eh, things just aren't adding up, but I'll figure it out."

"Hopefully sooner than later?"

"Yes."

The pressure Kate was giving her now was slightly less irritating than usual. It actually made her want to work harder, through the night if possible, but she knew she couldn't.

"You look tired. Why don't you call it a night" Kate offered.

Megan stood up and grabbed some evidence bags to take back to her office. "Good idea," she said. "Carry some of these and follow me."

Once they got to the office, Megan easily lowered hers onto one side of her desk and Kate did the same. Kate smoothed out her gold blouse and chocolate brown skirt before looking back up at Megan, who had her eyes fixed on her. She lunged forward and kissed Kate feverishly, to which the blonde was taken aback, but happy. She sucked heartily on Megan's lower lip as the redhead ran her fingers up over her breasts, slipping one hand beneath her shirt to feel her skin directly.

"I missed you," Megan whispered.

"Likewise," Kate barely managed to respond as Megan continued to kiss her, before pushing her back into the desk. Kate sat on the edge and then slid back some. Megan came to stand between her legs, pushing up her skirt so she could get closer. Megan was still wearing her green scrubs, so Kate couldn't get to her from below. Instead, she reached down, underneath the elastic waistband, and began to drag her fingers gently over Megan's underwear.

"Yes! Kate…"

Kate brought her lips to Megan's once again as Megan pushed her further back on the desk. Feeling very agile, Megan climbed on top and straddled Kate as she hiked her skirt up around her waist. She simply pushed Kate's panties to the side as she brought her fingers to slide through her wet folds.

Kate gasped as Megan fingered her gently. She dipped her hand beneath the silk lingerie Megan was wearing today and entered her as well, matching her speed, pumping faster as Megan picked up the pace. Kate continued to lick and suck on Megan's lips between breaths as Megan buried her hand into her cunt and she felt herself getting tighter around her fingers. Megan rode Kate's hand as Kate removed her fingers and generously slid her stickiness up and down against her clit.

"Oh…oh…my… god…"

Kate felt Megan come all over her hand, and soon, with Megan fucking her hard but with so much tenderness at the same time, Kate came as well. Little drops of Megan's sweat fell onto her lips as her breathing began to slow to normal. Megan pulled her hand up to her mouth and closed her eyes as she licked the flavor off her trembling fingers.

"Megan…shit…"

Megan smiled devilishly. "Guess I wasn't that tired."

Kate sat up, straightening her skirt before leaning on Megan, who put her arms around her and kissed her temple. The two smiled at one another as they playfully licked the sweat from various spots on their faces.

"Were you thinking about this all day?" Kate asked.

"Actually, no," Megan admitted. "I thought about you a few times, especially when I saw you pass by in the hall, but I was so absorbed in this case, I just…"

Kate kissed her again, hard, bringing her hands to her face and smoothing her thumbs over her cheekbones.

"I love how dedicated you are," Kate whispered. "It makes my job so much easier."

Megan smirked. "Did you think of me?"

Kate looked away, then back as she admitted "A little more than I should have considering I was also dealing with quite a workload, including keeping your victim's husband at bay."

"That guy's a nightmare," Megan vented through gritted teeth.

"You think he's guilty?"

"I hope not, for the daughter's sake, but he's an asshole either way."

Kate nodded. "Yeah he is."

Megan ran one hand through Kate's golden mane. She looked into her blue eyes and knew that she was falling in love with her. Her chest almost burned with how much she cared about her, and yet she felt like she still had so much to learn.

"What made you want to be Chief? I know the pay and prestige would be hard to pass up for anyone, but it seems like a lot of hassle."

Kate arched her eyebrows. "It is. But, as you said, who could pass up the opportunity? It's not something that many are presented with."

"Did your parents encourage you to take the position?" Megan continued.

Now Kate rolled her eyes, hard. "Uh oh. You're trying to figure me out."

"Of course. I want to know everything."

"Do you need to know everything to be with me?"

Megan frowned and felt a little nervous. "Well, not _everything_…I mean…what do you mean?"

Kate sighed. "My parents didn't want me to be a medical examiner in the first place. They would have preferred I had been a surgeon, like you."

"But that's not what you wanted."

"No. I was always obsessed with crime shows as a kid. I watched them on base when I was bored and needed to escape my surroundings. You'd think I would have chosen something more fantastic and magical, but no. I don't know if that makes me morbid or disturbed or what."

"Not really. Maybe you just wanted to try to bring peace to the world through bringing piece of mind to the loved ones of the deceased."

"Perhaps. I don't give much thought to my own psychology. It would drive me nuts."

Megan smirked. "Well don't worry. I won't ask too many hard questions. I don't want to drive you nuts either."

Kate couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic.

"Good. It's not that interesting anyway."

Megan reached out and held Kate's left hand.

"I still want to know."

Kate looked down at their hands and then back up into Megan's beautiful green eyes. She knew that if she wanted this to work—and she was realizing more and more how desperately she did— she would have to let the skeletons come tumbling out eventually. She just wasn't there yet. She leaned in to kiss Megan very softly, then tipped her forehead against hers.

"Thank you for wanting to get to know me. And for your patience. It's not easy for me to open up like this."

"It's okay," Megan smiled. "We've got plenty of time."


	9. Chapter 9

About a week later, Megan was intently staring through the lens of her microscope when Peter came in. She could tell it was him even before he spoke, his insistent energy and overpowering aftershave always alerting her to his presence.

"You ready to break for lunch?"

"Won't be for another hour. Then meeting Dr. Murphy in the cafeteria downstairs," Megan absently replied as she continued to peer down at the slides before her.

"Huh," Peter huffed. "So, are you and Kate best friends all of a sudden, or what?"

That caught Megan's attention. She sat up straight and spun around on her stool.

"_Dr. Murphy_," she made a point of emphasizing he use, "and I can always find plenty of work-related things to discuss, even some things non-work related. And yes, we're friendly." This was not a lie. It just wasn't the whole truth.

"That's a pretty dramatic shift from how it's been, don't you think? What changed?"

"Not so dramatic, and …we just realized we have more in common than we have differences. We're playing for the same team."

Megan suddenly realized how that sounded, and searched Peter's face to see if he caught on to the double meaning. She didn't think so.

"Right. Well have fun on your lunch date then. Guess I'll be steering clear of girl time," he whined before leaving the lab. Despite his choice of words, he was clearly oblivious, and Megan was just beginning to realize how much she wished she could keep it that way.

"He's not the sharpest tool in the shed, Megan." Kate smirked as she sipped her coffee. "At least not socially, though he thinks he's a pro. I'm not surprised he doesn't get it."

Megan frowned. "He'll put two and two together eventually. But I don't think I want him knowing the details."

"Well, nobody gets to know the details but us," Kate whispered. "But you're right. People eventually are going to know. If we show up to events together and never bring a husband or boyfriend, people are going to talk. Not that they don't already."

"I'm just not very fond of people trying to figure out my business."

Kate raised an eyebrow. "Now you know how I feel."

Megan glared at her playfully.

"Though I'm pretty sure some people already have it figured out," Kate said as she waved through the glass at Ethan and Curtis, who were just coming back from some gory assignment. They smiled awkwardly but politely at the two women, with brightly curious eyes. Kate couldn't lip-read exactly what they were saying, but their body language suggested it was probably along the lines of "Those two sure have gotten close."

Megan gawked. Then, as she thought about it, felt less skeptical "You might be right. But Peter's different."

"Because he's into you."

"Yes! He's been on my ass for months, telling me I need to get out more, not be so consumed with work. Now he's even worse. I'm realizing he just wanted me to be more consumed with him."

"Just let him down gently. Or not so gently. I don't care."

Megan pursed her lips. "Suggestions?"

"You don't have to tell him outright. We can just…send him signals. Make him wonder, to the point of assuming. If you make it clear you're not available, he'll back off."

"I thought I was already making it clear."

"No, you've made it clear you're not interested, not unavailable. Men don't care about not interested. As long as there's no ring on your finger, they think you're fair game."

"Hell, even with the ring they sometimes think you're fair game."

Kate rolled her eyes. "We'll just show him somehow that there is something more going on between us. And that he's not invited," she added firmly.

"You could always grab my ass as I'm walking down the hall."

Kate grinned. "Tempting. But not exactly the best example for the boss to set."

"Damn."

The two sent heated glances at one another across the table. Anyone watching them closely would have been a fool not to pick up on the fact that they were smitten.


	10. Chapter 10

Later in the week, Megan was able to pull together enough evidence to confront her victim's husband. Bud was hesitant to let her lead the interrogation, but she was able to talk her way into it, as usual.

"Abby was leaving you, wasn't she?"

"No way. We had the perfect life together. She would never walk away." Joe curled his hands into fists.

"No one's life is perfect. Maybe to you things were going just fine, but she wasn't happy."

"You didn't know my wife, of course she was happy!" He slammed the table in front of him. Bud moved to apprehend him, but Megan shrugged him off.

"She wasn't, and I'll tell you how I know. She had tear ducts that were so swollen they had become infected, an ulcer that was making it very difficult for her to keep up with caring for your daughter and keeping your home spotless, and she had recently had an abortion. Doesn't sound like the happiest of circumstances to me."

"She what?"

"You didn't know, did you? She was hiding it from you, because you would have forced her to keep the baby, and she didn't want to be with you anymore."

"You're lying. That's not true."

"The body doesn't lie, Joe. You may have killed your wife because she was trying to leave you, but she was already dying on the inside from the hell you'd put her through. The markings on her clothes and the inside of her purse? Bleach. You threw bleach on her to try to get her to stop. We found the empty container in your garage. And when that didn't stop her, you shot her. You tried to make it look like a robbery, dumping the purse, taking the wallet out, but we found that too, in your daughter's toy chest. You're a disgrace of human being, Joe."

"She was leaving me for a fucking bag boy at the grocery store! And she was taking Alyssa with her."

"Well, now you've lost them both for good."

Megan pushed her chair back and left the room as Joe continued to scream and Detective Morris made the arrest. She wiped a tear from her eye as she made her way out to her car. Solving cases like this was always extremely bittersweet.

Back at the lab, she took one last look at her victim before putting the sheet over her head. "Goodbye, Abby" she whispered.

There was nobody else left in the office and she was in dire need of something, someone, to take her mind off things. She knew just the person. She dialed Kate's number as she walked to her car.

"How'd it go?" Kate answered.

"It's done. We arrested him. Daughter's in protective services."

"Excellent."

"Well, it's never excellent when a child loses both of her parents in a week."

"Right…you know what I mean."

"I do. Where are you? I thought you'd still be at work when I got back."

"I had a dentist appointment at five, so I just came home after that."

"You had an appointment? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Megan, it's the dentist. Not exactly a life or death situation. I didn't even think about it, honestly."

Megan took a deep breath. She was trying really hard not to live up to her reputation for being a control freak. "Sorry, I just figured you would have mentioned it at some point. But you're right, it's not a big deal."

"Where are you headed now?"

"I was going home, but I could easily be persuaded to…"

"Come over."

Megan smiled. "Yes."

"Please do. But stop and pick up some Ben & Jerry's first."

"Oh, that's great for right after the dentist." She could practically hear Kate roll her eyes through the phone. "Any particular flavor?"

"Surprise me."

"I'll do my best."

Megan had chosen very wisely. The two sat cross-legged on the couch, taking turns feeding each other spoonfuls of New York Triple Fudge Chunk. Megan unbuttoned her Ralph Lauren pants as she leaned back against the pillows and sighed.

"This was a great idea."

Kate smirked as she scooped another bite into her mouth. Then she scooped again, but this time, she smudged it against the bit of Megan's stomach that was peeking out from beneath her tangerine colored sweater.

"Ah! What are you…" she shrieked against the cold but was quickly silenced as Kate licked the chocolate off of her skin and continued to suck on her flesh. She looked up into Megan's eyes as she undid her sweater, popping the buttons open one by one, finally revealing a champagne colored bra that pushed Megan's breast's together, giving her unbelievable cleavage.

"I like this," Kate whispered as she dabbed more chocolate on the lightly tanned curves.

"You're going to do my laundry," Megan warned even as she shuddered.

Kate licked the ice cream off one breast while palming the other. "You want me to stop?"

Megan smiled and slid down further on the couch, positioning herself beneath Kate. Kate put the Ben & Jerry's on the table and leaned down to kiss Megan. She brushed her full, swollen lips over Megan's before tasting them with her tongue, licking off the excess chocolate. Megan pulled off Kate's tank top, revealing her completely naked chest, and Kate removed Megan's bra and sent it to the floor. Megan gasped as Kate pressed their breasts together, all the while kissing her, again and again on her lips, cheeks, eyes. Megan traced the shape of Kate's ear with her tongue, causing Kate's nipples to go even harder against her.

"Dr. Murphy, what are you doing to me?" Megan whispered.

Kate pulled back and looked into her eyes. She suddenly felt very scared. She wasn't afraid of getting hurt herself. She trusted Megan now, maybe more than she had ever trusted anyone. But she was absolutely terrified of hurting her. She had made so many mistakes in the past. She had always known this was who she was, but it took Megan to finally get her to own up to it. She couldn't bear the thought of losing her over…

"Kate?" Megan interrupted her thoughts. She looked up into blue eyes that seemed to hold a lot of history, though she couldn't begin to put it all together, and she didn't want to without Kate giving her the pieces. She watched as a teardrop fell onto her chest.

"I'm sorry," Kate sat up quickly and wiped her eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm just…I told you, I'm not used to opening up to people."

"But we were just having ice cream and...how does that…?"

"I know. Please, I'm not great at this, I know."

"You haven't done or said anything to make me think you're anything but amazing."

Kate fell back onto her chest and wrapped her arms around her, and Megan breathed a deep sigh of relief. She ran her fingers through Kate's hair, playing with it, as she felt more tears fall onto her skin. After a few minutes they stopped, and Kate slowly lifted herself to be face to face with Megan again.

"You ready to talk?" Megan asked gently.

"Soon," Kate offered before kissing her briefly on the lips, then on her tiny nose, then on her temple.

"Kate…"

"I've never felt like this before."

"Me either."

Kate buried her hands in Megan's hair as she teased their noses together. Megan chuckled a little at the tickling sensation, and the smile on her face made Kate smile too.


	11. Chapter 11

Megan began work on the auto-erotic asphyxiation case the next morning. She felt terrible that the man had died, she always did. Nevertheless—and maybe it was the result of the post-sex glow she was still feeling from the night before— she couldn't help but laugh at the jokes Ethan and Curtis barraged her with throughout the day. It had kept her working late, which she only minded because she wished she could have left when Kate did, but she couldn't complain. She was feeling pretty giddy despite the somber business she found herself faced with. Just as she was looking to match the belt to the markings on the neck, Peter came into the lab. _Perfect timing_, she thought. As usual.

"Are you here to help me or do you want to audition for amateur night at the Improv like the rest?"

"I saw you leave Kate's apartment this morning."

Megan dropped the belt on the table and turned white. Then she quickly remembered she had nothing to hide, nothing to fear, and resumed her normal, un-phased state of righteousness.

"Are you stalking me now?"

"I drive by her place on the way into the city. I saw you leave in clothes you didn't wear to work the day before."

"And?"

"And, either she's lost all her money at the casino again and needs a new roommate, or something else is going on."

Megan looked at him, confused, but sure of herself. "For your information, she hasn't been to the casino in weeks. And," she took a deep breath. "If you must know, something else may be going on. None of which is any of your business, and I shouldn't even have to give you that much."

"That's fine, Megan, just fine. I've watched you over the past few weeks, and you've gone from cynical and guarded to much more relaxed, playful even. I guess I was wrong to assume it meant something was finally starting to happen between us."

"Peter, I…"

"Was I a complete fool to think you were flirting with me all this time?"

"Yes and no," Megan admitted. "I'm flirtatious, I've been told, but I have no idea what I'm doing. I guess I try to soften the edge I bring to people by teasing them every once in a while, or asking them about their hobbies, their quirks. You know, you're the one who told me to take an interest in the living, and I have really, _really_ been trying. I'm sorry if you thought I saw you as more than a friend. I appreciate you, but I'm just not interested, Peter."

For as much as he annoyed her at times, this was true. His advice, while tedious and usually unsolicited, had helped her on numerous occasions, with Lacey, with her mother. She had even briefly considered how easy it would have been to just go out with him, but she didn't feel that way, no matter how much convincing anyone tried to do, including him.

Peter tapped his fingers on an empty exam table and looked anywhere but at her.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm pretty sure I'm a lesbian. I wouldn't take it too personally."

He had to laugh. "Figures. Maybe that's why Kate could never hold down a man. She certainly gave me the boot before I had the chance to figure her out."

Megan felt like someone just shot her in the chest. Her ears started ringing, and she was pretty sure her parasthesia was making its way up her arms. For what seemed like minutes, she felt complete numbness, but it must have only been seconds, because she heard herself say, "I'm sorry, what?"

"You know, we lived together for quite a while, and I never would have guessed she was into women."

Megan thought she might vomit. She tried not to let Peter see how upset she was.

"Um..."

"Wait, you didn't know? Jesus, Megan. I thought if you were seeing her, she would have told you. I had just left the force. She was working her way up the ranks here. She blew her way through most of her savings playing in Texas Hold 'Em tournaments and needed someone to help her out, which is what I was afraid happened again. I'm assuming some of my furniture is still there."

Megan shook her head furiously, trying to shake the feeling of complete helplessness.

"Shit, I'm sorry. She's gonna kill me."

Anger now started to bubble up, along with jealousy. Images floated into her head that she never wanted to fathom.

"Did you…" she couldn't finish asking the question. She turned a piercing glare on Peter. He looked at her blankly for a minute before realizing what she wanted to know.

"Oh. Oh, no. She kissed me once, but that was it. She always had plenty of other men to keep her..."

"Please! Don't. I can't." Megan slid the body away and packed everything up before going to retrieve her things from her office. Peter followed her.

"Megan, that was a long time ago, before she even knew you. Obviously she didn't even know herself back then."

"Well apparently I don't really know her either, and this was a shitty way to find that out. Excuse me…" she sniffed as she pushed past him. She ignored him calling after her as she stepped into the elevator.

Kate was starting to get worried. Megan hadn't texted her back for two hours, and she hadn't answered her phone. She tried to tell herself that she was just absorbed in work, too busy theorizing in the lab to respond, but part of her was contemplating going over there. Then she heard a knock at the door. More than a knock. Pounding.

She quickly threw on her robe and ran to the door, looking out the peephole for only a second to confirm it was Megan. When she opened the door, her heart almost imploded. Megan stood in her orange trench coat, hair pulled back like she wore it in the lab, mascara tears running down her face.

"Oh my god, what…"

Megan glared at her as she pushed into the apartment and threw her bag on the floor. _Fuck_…

Megan paced for a few moments, before turning to her, wiping the tear stains from her cheeks, and asking, "Did you really live with Peter?"

Kate froze. She breathed heavily through her nose and pursed her lips, feeling both defensive and defenseless. She knew she should have told her. Everything had screamed at her to do it, but at the same time, she hadn't wanted to ruin things. Her eyes began to well up as she tried to gather her words.

"No. You don't get to cry right now. I need you to talk, for once."

"Megan, I should have told you…"

"Oh my god, you did. How could you not tell me?"

"I wanted to, I just…"

"Did you sleep with him?" She didn't know if she could trust Peter. She didn't know if she could trust anyone.

"No! I did not have sex with him, we just…"

"Just what? Just everything we do, or is that suddenly not really sex?"

"STOP! Please. He lived with me, but that was it."

"And you kissed him?"

"One time, when I came home from losing more money, and I was drunk, yes. That's it."

"How do I know that's it? You didn't tell me you lived together, or that you have a gambling problem, or that you apparently had dozens of other men, so many that you couldn't even be bothered with…"

"That was years ago! I was a mess back then. I…"

"You know, it would pretty much go against every feminist bone in my body to criticize you for sleeping around, or demand you tell me about all your past relationships. I haven't pushed to know anything, at all. But Peter? Who I work with, who _we_ work with, side by side, every day? You didn't think this would maybe be the slightest bit awkward?"

"I did think that, Megan, that's why I didn't tell you. He and I haven't even discussed it in years, especially not the kiss. The gambling, the men…it's not something I'm proud of. I knew I should have told you, but I was scared."

"You were scared? I hadn't been with anyone in nearly six years. My husband cheated on me because I actually give a fuck about my job. You think I wasn't terrified?"

"I know. I'm so sorry. I have a lot of regrets about the men I've been with. I told you, I was raised to think that if I even dreamed about having anything other than what was considered a 'normal' relationship, I would have been done. I saw people get the shit kicked out of them just for being perceived as gay, and I'm pretty sure my father gave the orders. Do you know what that does to a kid? There's no way I could be who I am. Men hit on me constantly, and it was easier to be with them than to be alone while I was running away from myself."

"I get all of that. I don't get lying to me."

"I didn't lie. I just didn't tell you the whole truth."

"Kate, how fucking stupid do you think I am?"

"I can't undo this. I know I can't. I can't take back what happened with Peter, or the lying. All I know is that when you came into my life, I started to feel something I've never felt with anyone."

"Oh, please. I can't listen to this. Did you feel it with Peter too? Is that why you didn't jump into bed with him?"

"Megan, stop! I never slept with anyone I worked with. I wasn't picky, but I also wasn't stupid. I was trying to move up the ladder. I couldn't risk my reputation getting out at work. That's why I never slept with him."

"Oh, is that the only reason why? Why would you let him move in with you in the first place?"

"Because, you know how he is. He can make you feel like you know nothing, like he has all the answers. It's infuriating and patronizing, but it can also be comforting. I needed someone to move in with me, fast, or I was going to lose my place and everything I'd built here. That was not an option for me. He was the closest thing I had to a friend back then. The awkwardness over what happened has certainly made us grow apart, and his obvious feelings for you made things even more uncomfortable…"

"The last thing I want to hear about right now is how uncomfor…"

"Listen to me! Don't you understand? I've never loved anyone in my entire life. The last thing I wanted to do was lose you over all the stupid mistakes I've made in my past."

Megan almost missed the words through her anger. Kate loved her. She knew she did, and she loved her back so much it made her dizzy. She sat down on the couch and bent over with her face in her lap. She wanted to throw her arms around Kate and kiss her, let her know exactly how she felt, but she was walking a thin line between self respect and self defeat.

"Megan…"

"Please…"

"I…"

"Shh!" Megan sniffled. She took a few minutes to compose herself, breathing rhythmically and wiping her eyes on her skirt before sitting up and slowly facing Kate on the couch.

"You're absolutely right," Kate practically whispered, trying to speak through her own tears. "I shouldn't have lied to you. I should have told you the whole truth. I could make a million excuses for why I thought it would be easier this way, better for work, better for us. But I was wrong, and I can only tell you that it was the fear of losing you that kept me from telling you everything. I'll tell you whatever you want, but the only thing that I know that matters, the only thing I know more than I've known anything else, is how I feel about you."

Megan tried to not feel betrayed. She tried to dismantle this situation like she would the organs inside a decaying body, looking at each part separately in order to make sense of the mess. Perhaps to anyone else, this wouldn't have seemed like that big of a deal. Everyone had some kind of a past. But how could she continue to work with Peter knowing that he had also been keeping this secret from her? She knew it was truly ridiculous to feel this way, but she was not yet ready to write her feelings off. "I need time," she said.

Kate nodded, appearing resigned. Tears continued to spill down her cheeks. Megan inched closer to her on the couch, reached out, and wiped the tears away with her thumbs. Kate grasped her wrists, took her hands, and held them in her lap as she tried to get a hold of herself. Megan's green eyes glistened as she spoke to her.

"I don't know exactly when I fell in love with you, but it's getting to the point where I can't remember how it felt not to love you. And I know that in all honesty, I have absolutely no right to be upset at you about your past, or hold it against you. This is just very…complicated. I don't know how I'm supposed to be okay working next to someone, two people, who have been keeping something like this from me for months. I'm not used to not being in control."

"You do love me?" Kate whispered.

"How could you not know that? I've wanted to tell you so many times, but life doesn't always give you those 'perfect moments.'"

"Trust me, I know," Kate smiled and laughed a little nervously through her tears. She reached out and caressed Megan's cheek, still damp. Megan took her hand and kissed it just as she had that first night in Kate's office. She did love her, immensely, too much to let this tear them apart. She knew she'd have to get used to knowing the kiss meant nothing, or at least not anything close to what she and Kate had, and knowing that it had nothing to do with her as she hadn't even entered the equation yet.

Kate gently placed her hands on Megan's cheeks and held her face, looking into her eyes for what seemed like minutes. She wanted to communicate something that would have just sounded trite with words: that Megan could trust her, that she would never lie to her or not tell her the whole truth ever again. So she looked into her eyes and let Megan look back, let her see her with her guard down for as long as she felt it took to get the message across.

Megan blinked back a few more tears before tilting her forehead against Kate's, closing her eyes and breathing in her scent. She brushed their noses together as she ran her fingers through blonde, wavy locks. She tried to feel her through every one of her senses, listening to the sound of her breath, inhaling it, tasting it as it hit her lips, feeling her soft skin against her own cheeks. Finally she opened her eyes again.

"I really shouldn't let you off so easy…" she trailed off, barely brushing her lips against Kate's as she spoke.

"I'm sorry…." Kate whispered.

"I know…" She continued to sigh as she closed her lips around Kate's slowly. Kate kissed her back more gently than she ever had.

"I promise…I'll…"

"Just be honest with me…"

"I promise…I love you too."

Megan couldn't take the time to process all of this right now. Kate's words, words she had heard a million times before from people who didn't always mean it, felt so real and right. She pulled back just enough to look clearly into Kate's eyes again, acknowledging those words with a smile that gave Kate the shivers. She wrapped her arms around her back and kissed her fully, forgiving her, and allowing Kate to forgive herself. She slipped her tongue inside Kate's mouth and relished in the warmth of their tongues sliding so nicely together. She sucked in each lip, indecisive over which one she preferred, instead choosing to equally savor them. Kate brought her fingers to Megan's neck and lightly traced them over the sides of it before bringing her lips to rest there too. She kissed her, almost more with her breath than her lips, also breathing her in before burying her face in her hair.

Megan looked down to see that Kate's robe was sliding off her shoulders. She pulled on the belt just enough to let it come undone all the way, causing Kate to sit up a little straighter and look back into her eyes. Megan ran her hands over Kate's chest, feeling her heartbeat under her fingertips, glad that her fingers were actually allowing her to feel this moment. She kissed Kate again on the lips as she continued down with her hands, gently squeezing her breasts as Kate worked to undo and remove her jacket. Megan helped her by slipping out of it, and then pulled her own sweater over her head, and quickly took off her bra. She wanted to feel Kate against her skin. Kate shrugged off her robe as Megan continued to fully undress herself, and soon the two were completely naked together on the couch, just as they had been the night before. But tonight, there was so much more and so much less between them. Less questions, less secrets, and much more love.

Kate leaned back against the pillows as Megan wrapped her legs around her, straddling her until they were fully pressed against one another. Kate gasped at this and Megan shuddered so hard she had to hold on to Kate's shoulders for support, burying her face in her neck. They both began to grind against each other, sliding wetness against wetness. They made noises driven by the pleasure throbbing through them to their cores. Megan slid against her harder, riding her up and down, as Kate matched her movements perfectly. She wrapped her arms behind Megan's back and dug her nails deep into her skin, gripping on so she could more thoroughly melt against her.

"…Megan…"

"…yes…"

Soon they were both convulsing, continuing to press hard against the other, slickly getting off to the sensation of slippery, wet skin and hair mixing. Megan arched her back for a moment before bringing her lips to Kate's as she came against her, and felt Kate come seconds later while a moan echoed past her lips into Megan's mouth. Megan fell against Kate as her body went limp, and she rested her head against her shoulder. Kate rubbed Megan's back, passing her hand softly over the salty stickiness. The two stayed silent for some time, enjoying the sound of each other's breath.

"Kate?" Megan whispered.

"Yeah?" Kate panted back.

"Will you come to dinner with me and Lacey tomorrow?"

Kate laughed lightly. "I guess we're coming out in full force now, huh?"

"Not all at once. It's just she's the only one whose opinion I really care about."

Kate swallowed. "Would a negative opinion from her change anything?"

Megan pulled up slightly, just enough to plant a lazy kiss on Kate's chin before falling back down to her chest.

"No. One, she can't have a negative opinion of you, you're wonderful. And two, if she's weirded out by it, she'll get over it. But I didn't raise her that way."

"It can be different when it's your own parent…or child…"

"She'll get used to it." Megan assured.

"Good. Can we save my parents for last?"

Megan chuckled, though understandingly.

"Mhmm."

"Thank you," Kate sighed, very relieved.

"Sure. We have lots of time, plenty to talk about."

"Indeed."

"But right now," Megan kissed her once before sitting up. "Do you still have some Ben & Jerry's in the freezer?"

Kate rolled her eyes and kissed her back before getting up and granting her wish.


	12. Chapter 12

Megan had picked Lacey up on her own so they could have some time together, just the two of them, before they met Kate at Lacey's favorite restaurant. Megan figured it couldn't hurt.

"Lacey, you know Dr. Murphy."

"Yeah, we met when I was doing my school project. You had really nice things to say about my mom."

Kate smiled and blushed slightly as she caught Megan grinning out of the corner of her eye.

"Well, your mother is amazing. The best."

"I know, but you're her boss. Aren't you supposed to be the best?"

Megan was beginning to realize her daughter lacked a certain tact at times. It must have been genetic.

"We are equally good at what we do," Megan jumped in. "We come from different backgrounds, so we can bring our own expertise to the table. That's why it's best when we work together."

She smiled and looked over at Kate, who didn't seem too phased.

"So, you said you had something to tell me?" Lacey cut in. "What is it?"

"Don't you want to order first?"

"No, I hate waiting. Is it about the guy you've been dating? Can I finally see a pic?"

Kate dropped her menu and looked at Megan, stunned.

"No, no. Okay…Lacey, there's no guy. I haven't been dating a guy."

"You lied? Why would you make up something like that?"

"I didn't lie… I just didn't tell you the whole truth."

Kate made a funny noise in the back of her throat as she continued to peruse the menu, though she was listening very attentively. Megan kicked her under the table, and she dropped her menu again. Lacey looked at her like she was strange, then looked back at her mom, confused.

"So you're not dating anyone?"

"No," Megan took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling, then at Kate, then back at Lacey. "I am seeing someone, just…not a guy."

Lacey stared at her blankly for a moment. Megan looked over at Kate, who was smiling as she continued to look at the menu, which shook nervously in her hands. Then she looked back at Lacey again, whose face was finally becoming unfrozen.

"Oh…so…are you saying?"

"Dr. Murphy…Kate…and I, are together. Yes."

Lacey looked a little uncomfortable, and Megan started to feel sick to her stomach. This was one of the hardest things she had ever done.

"But…I don't get it. So…you're gay all of a sudden?"

"Well, not really all of a sudden. I think I've always kind of felt an attraction to women, I just never cared to act on it until…"

"What about dad?"

Megan had expected this part.

"I loved your father, Lacey. But this has nothing to do with him. This is just something that happened, and I don't really have all the answers as to why, even within myself. But I'm very happy, and I hope that you will eventually be happy for me too."

Lacey looked like she was trying to figure it out. Megan thought she was handling it very maturely so far.

"I do want you to be happy. I'm just… a little shocked. I had no idea."

"Well, that's why I wanted to wait to tell you, until I was sure."

Lacey looked at Kate. Kate felt her stomach do a somersault.

"Is that why you were so nice in the interview?"

Kate laughed a little, nervous still. "No. I mean, I think your mom is a genius, and that's part of what I love about her, but no, I was being honest. It was based solely on her work."

Megan smirked incredulously.

"But you love her?"

Lacey knew exactly what questions to ask. She was good at this. Megan felt proud.

"Yes, I do," Kate said without batting an eyelash.

"Mom?"

"What?" She had spaced out, her mind zooming in a million different directions.

"Are you in love with Kate?"

Megan's cheeks turned red, not because she wasn't sure of the answer, but because it felt funny being interrogated her twelve year old.

"Yes," she looked over at Kate, who seemed to be letting go over her nerves. She reached under the table and held her hand. "A lot."

Lacey still looked unsure, but she tried to smile.

"Then… I'm gonna try to be happy for you. I mean, I am happy for you. I'm still just…kind of shocked."

"Understandable."

The waiter came up just in time to take their order, and then they sat in silence for what seemed like forever, until Kate finally tried to break the ice.

"Lacey, do you like football?"

"Not really," she admitted. "But I'm trying to learn more about it. A lot of my friends do." Lacey took a big gulp of her soda. "Do you?"

"Love it," Kate relished. "That's one of the things you're required to like when you grow up on an army base. Though, lucky for me, I didn't have to pretend."

"You lived on an army base? That's kind of cool."

"Sometimes it was. Other times it was…challenging."

"Did you see a lot of dead people? Is that why you became a medical examiner?"

Kate smiled. "They tend to hide the dead and wounded from kids. But who knows, maybe it subconsciously had an effect on me."

Lacey continued to look curious.

"Anyway, I'm taking your mom to an Eagles game soon. Maybe you'd like to come with us?"

Lacey's eyes went wide and she looked at Megan.

"Mom? You're going to a football game?"

"I don't have much of a choice," Megan smirked. "But hey, I'm willing to try new things. If the two of you are there, it can't be that bad."

Lacey smiled as she looked back and forth between her mom and Kate. She was suddenly very happy for her, indeed.


	13. Chapter 13

"I'm telling you, I think they're more than friends," Ethan tried to convince Curtis.

"Uh uh, I told you, I'm not discussing this with you any further."

"Why, because Kate's our boss?"

"Yeah, and because Megan's scary."

Ethan smirked. "All I'm saying is, whatever's going on, they look happy."

Curtis gave in, whispered: "Mmhmm. I never seen Megan with that look on her face before."

"What look?"

"You know…that 'I just got lucky. Real lucky' look."

Ethan turned beet red. "You're right. We shouldn't be talking about this."

"Shouldn't talk about what?" Megan asked as she joined them. Curtis had tried to warn Ethan with his eyes, but failed.

"Nothing! Not…anything."

"Yeah, right. Come on guys, we don't keep secrets around here."

"Oh we don't?" Curtis asserted.

Megan smiled.

"We were just…uh…" Ethan tried to make something up.

"Go on. Say it." Curtis mocked him.

"Well, we were… were just discussing how you and Dr. Murphy…"

Megan raised her eyebrows, but continued to grin.

"…look…happy…lately."

Megan looked back at Curtis, who turned to his work, trying his best to look innocent.

"How astute you are, Ethan. Curtis, thoughts on this?"

Curtis fumbled with the pipette in his hand.

"Easy tiger," She offered as she patted him on the shoulder. "Good observations, Ethan. Yes. We are very happy."

Ethan smiled. "I knew it! I could have sworn I saw…"

Megan glared at him, letting him know there were still boundaries.

"…nothing. I didn't see anything. Just the smiles on your faces, that's it."

She dropped a bag in his hands on her way out.

"Run a potassium scan on that," and she left.

Curtis turned back to Ethan and shook his head.

"What?"

The deputy medical examiner laughed heartily as they both got back to work.

Megan sat at her desk as she pondered this latest case. Something about it just didn't feel right, though it rarely did. The man had been found in his bathroom with his pants around his ankles and semen on the floor, but he was no longer hanging from the belt. Someone had cut him down and left him there. Or, someone had made it look like auto-erotic asphyxiation after catching him cheating or masturbating to something they didn't approve of, but there was no jealous girlfriend…or boyfriend…to be found.

Her phone beeped, and she was glad to have a distraction from the headache that was starting to form at the bridge of her nose.

_You okay?_ It was Kate.

_Fine, just a bit frustrated. Why do you ask?_

_I walked by a few minutes ago and you looked like you might need an aspirin. Or a shot of whiskey._

Megan smiled.

_I could use either. Or, you could have just come in and helped me temporarily take me mind off things._

_You're a tease. _

_I'm serious._

_It's the middle of the day. There are too many people around. Speaking of which, you want to tell me why Curtis suddenly can't make eye contact with me?_

Megan sighed. She hoped Kate wouldn't be pissed.

_He and Ethan sort of asked me about our situation, and I kind of confirmed their suspicions._

_They asked you? How terribly unprofessional._

_Ok, they didn't really ask so much as insinuate. It's ok, they're harmless, as you know. They're good guys. And I think they're happy for us._

Kate didn't respond for a few minutes. Megan squeezed the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger.

_I see. That's nice of them._

_I thought so._

_I'm sorry I can't help you right now. Maybe if you learned how to multitask, you could help yourself._

Megan blushed.

_As you said, there are people around._

_Not under your desk. Though, if it were possible, that's where I'd like to be._

Megan felt herself tingling between her legs.

_What would you do?_

Just as she contemplated maneuvering her hand under her skirt, Todd burst into her office.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Megan looked at him for a few moments, trying to remain calm.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm working. What are you doing here?"

"You're dating your boss? Your female boss? That's a great example to set for our daughter."

"Wow, Todd. I didn't realize you were such a homophobe. And I would really take a good look at your own example before you start pointing a finger at me."

"I'm not dating my boss, Megan. It's unethical."

"No, you just date clients and witnesses. That's much better."

"You have no proof of that, you never did. The judge agreed."

"That doesn't mean it's not true."

"Regardless, Megan, what is this about?"

"What do you mean what's it about? I didn't intentionally go after my boss. You can't always help who you fall in love with."

"You're in love with her? Jesus Christ, Megan. Were you always a dyke? Is that why the sex was so…"

"Todd! You cannot come in here and just start insulting me!"

"I'll say whatever the hell I want to! I do not want our daughter thinking…"

"Excuse me, what is going on? I can hear you from down the hall," Kate interrupted.

"You stay out of this," Todd barked.

Megan's jaw dropped, knowing that wasn't going to fly.

"I beg your pardon? This is my office. If you're going to cause a scene, I'm going to need you to leave."

"This is between me and my wife."

"Ex-wife," Kate corrected.

Todd smirked, then laughed. Kate was certain this was the most unappealing man she had ever encountered. She couldn't fathom what Megan had seen in him.

"Right. Well good luck with her. If you're lucky, she may actually put out for you every once in a while."

"Get the hell out." Kate snarled.

Todd moved toward the door, but paused to look back at Megan. "We'll discuss this more later."

"I don't see what there is to discuss. I stay out of your business, you stay out of mine."

He looked back and forth between the two women, appearing resigned for the moment, and left.

Kate closed the door and stepped into the office. She walked up to the desk slowly, watching as Megan's hands trembled and she fought very hard to hold back her tears.

"Bastard," Megan whispered through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You didn't do anything."

"I just…what can I…"

She went around to the side of the desk and thought about reaching out to touch her, but both were aware that there were many curious eyes watching them now from the outer office.

"Come," Megan said as she shot up from her desk. Kate followed her down the hall, towards the bathroom. Ethan and Curtis looked on with fascination, until Kate shot them a look that could have burned a hole through steel.

Once inside, Megan put her hands on the cold, gray countertop and leaned against it, sniffling, wiping away the few stray tears that had managed to escape. Kate couldn't stay away any longer. She wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tightly, until Megan finally let go and hugged back.

"It's alright. He's just…"

"He could try to keep me from seeing Lacey," Megan mumbled into Kate's blazer.

"He could try, but he couldn't actually do it. You're not an unfit mother, Megan. He may have won custody on some bullshit, sexist technicality, but you're not going to lose your visitation rights over being gay. The law protects you."

"I know…I just…don't want her to get hurt anymore than she already has."

"The best thing you can do is continue to be yourself, show her that you're not afraid to be as fearless and passionate as you are, in your professional and personal life. I don't care what Todd or anyone else says, you are an unbelievable role model for any young girl. Lacey is so lucky to have you."

Megan wiped the tears from her eyes and finally got herself under control. Kate handed her a tissue. After wiping her eyes and throwing it away, she wrapped her arms around Kate again. When she pulled back, she kissed her briefly on the lips.

"Thank you."

"You're not in this alone. It's going to be alright."

"You're right," Megan nodded. "Okay. Back to work."

Kate smiled as she opened the door for her. Ethan and Curtis quickly popped their heads back down as the two returned to their offices.


	14. Chapter 14

Later that day, Peter cautiously approached Megan with some information he had on their case. DNA besides the victim's had finally been found at the crime scene, and he figured she'd be willing to put aside their personal differences long enough to get a hold of it.

"We found this in the closet." He handed her a small baggie of hair.

"Finally," she sighed, then looked up at him briefly. "Thanks."

"No problem." He lingered for a moment, wondering if he should say anything more. The tension in the air was almost suffocating.

"Megan, I…"

"Let's not talk about it right now. It's been a very long day."

"I understand. I just want to…is everything okay with…"

"Yes, Kate and I are fine. We talked about it. I'm just not ready to go there again right now, okay?"

Peter gave her a weak smiled and nodded. "Okay. See you around."

"See you."

That week, things only got more intense as the case led to a double arrest. The victim's business partner and mistress had indeed set up the body to make it appear as though it had been auto-erotic asphyxiation, which was discovered after the sordid love-triangle/extortion affair unfolded before them. To reward themselves, Kate decided they would go to the Eagles game with Lacey. Megan wore the t-shirt she had previously borrowed and had no intention of returning. After she and Lacey picked her up, Kate insisted that that they allow her to smear green and black paint on their cheeks. Lacey thought it was cute, but Megan refused to smile while Kate applied the make-up to her face.

"How do I even know if I'm an Eagles fan? I've never shopped around for a team."

"You grew up in Philly. You don't care, I do, and so…you're an Eagles fan."

Megan rolled her eyes as she sat on the back bumper of her car getting her war paint on, and Lacey giggled.

At half time the score was tied, and the three sat in their box seats finishing up their burgers. Megan thought she hadn't seen Lacey this relaxed in a long time. She'd have to thoroughly thank Kate for this later.

"This is pretty fun," Lacey said. "I can see now why the guys like it so much."

"What guys?" Megan nudged.

"Just some guys at school that I'm friends with."

"Uh huh," Megan teased.

"Mom," Lacey pleaded.

"Are those the friends you were mentioning before? The ones who like football?" Kate asked.

"Well, yeah…I mean. My friend Natasha knows a lot about sports, and I don't. So when we all hang out, it just seems like… maybe they like her more."

Kate nodded and smiled.

"I've known men like that. Just don't feel like you _have_ to like sports in order to get their attention. Any guy who insists that a girl has to like sports in order to be cool obviously doesn't like a girl who thinks for herself. The ones who are worth it will like you regardless."

"Yeah, you're right I guess," Lacey conceded.

Megan was in awe of how much Lacey seemed to listen to Kate. For a second she felt a little jealous, then returned to being relieved.

"But I'm glad you're enjoying it," Kate added.

"I am. Thanks for inviting us. Even though I'm sure my mom would rather be doing something else."

"Hey! You know what, I'm trying. Didn't you hear me yell foul ball at the end of the last quarter?"

"Yes, and considering that's a baseball term, I'd suggest holding off on the overzealous cheering until you've taken in a few more games," Kate laughed, and Lacey joined her.

Megan felt a little ganged up on, but she smiled as Lacey put her arm around her and squeezed. She couldn't have asked for a more perfect day, face paint and all.

When the three pulled up to drop Lacey off that evening, Todd was waiting on the front step. When he saw that Kate was driving, he appeared flustered. As Lacey opened the back door, he stood and motioned for her to hurry.

"Lacey, get in the house."

"What…why?"

"I need to talk to your mother and her boss."

"Her name is Kate, dad. And she's not just mom's boss."

"Yes, you've told me. I'm well aware."

"Todd, don't do this," Megan spoke from her rolled down window.

"All I ask is that you not flaunt your…lifestyle…in front of our daughter."

"Dad, please! I love mom, and you know what, Kate is great too. We had fun today."

"Lacey, you are twelve years old. You don't know…"

"I know enough that I can think for myself. I don't have a problem with it, and I'm surprised that you do."

Todd turned bright red, appearing to be embarrassed at the education he was getting from his daughter. Clearly, he knew he had to do what was best for Lacey, and if he stood a chance of keeping her living with him and staying on her good side, he wasn't about to continue to show his true colors.

"You're right, sweetie. I'm sorry. It's just…different, that's all."

Lacey patted him on the shoulder. "You'll get used to it."

Kate tried not to chuckle too loudly from the driver's seat.

"Bye guys, thanks again. Love you mom!" Lacey called as she went up the steps into the house. Todd followed her, but turned around to look back for just a moment. He stared at the women in the car, who smiled victoriously and waved at him. He hesitantly waved back before closing the door.


	15. Chapter 15

The two decided to go back to Megan's for a change. When they got upstairs, Kate made herself at home by plopping down in Megan's favorite white linen armchair. She was pleasantly surprised as Megan climbed onto her lap, straddling her. She pushed her back into the chair and kissed her fiercely, planting wet, sumptuous lips on her, easily coaxing her mouth open with her tongue. When they both were almost out of breath, she turned to lick the sides of Kate's neck.

"Mmm…where did this come from?"

"Don't play dumb," Megan teased between kisses. "For someone who says they never wanted kids, you're very good with them."

Kate laughed softly between gasps as she slid her hands under Megan's shirt, feeling her up.

"Your kid just so happens to be particularly fantastic."

"She is, isn't she?" Megan whispered before sucking on an earlobe. "On another note, you're very sexy in this jersey," Megan added.

Kate pulled Megan's t-shirt over her head and palmed her breasts.

"Does this mean you'll go to more games with me?"

"Uh huh."

Kate surprised her by standing up and holding onto Megan's legs to keep them wrapped around her. Megan squeezed her thighs around Kate's waist and moaned as Kate grabbed her ass, pulling her up higher and tighter against her as she carried her towards the bedroom. She stopped just outside the kitchen, slamming Megan's back against the wall just hard enough for her to exhale sharply, pleasurably. Kate kissed down her neck to her breasts, licking them through her lace bra, biting down through the fabric onto hard nipples.

"Kate…"

She continued to the bedroom as Megan grinded against her in mid-air, all the while kissing her. Kate dropped her onto the bed and pulled Megan's jeans off while laying gentle kisses on her stomach, swiping her tongue in and out of her belly button, causing Megan to laugh, before she propped herself up and pinned Kate on the foot of the bed.

"You like being on top, don't you?" Kate smirked.

"Does that surprise you?"

She shook her head no and accepted Megan's tongue in her mouth once again, as she slowly undid the button to her jeans and slid down the zipper. Kate allowed her to pull them off before wrapping her legs around Megan tightly and flipping them over. Megan giggled. They continued to kiss as if they never had before, desperate to take in as much of the other as they could. Kate started to take off the jersey, and Megan grabbed her wrists.

"Keep it on for now," she whispered deliciously.

Kate responded by taking off Megan's bra instead, followed by her panties. She pressed gentle kisses down one arm before traveling across to her navel and back up the other arm. She whipped her tongue out against her ear and followed it up by blowing lightly against it, then teasingly, painstakingly trailed her tongue, very slowly, back down her chest and stomach.

"Quit torturing me," Megan moaned as she smacked Kate playfully on the ass.

Kate began licking her clit furiously, making approving noises as she tasted her. Megan dug her heels into her back and grasped at the sheets on either side of her, raising her hips to Kate's lips when she teasingly pulled away.

"More…" she begged.

Kate replaced her tongue with three fingers and delved into her core, lifting her up to straddle her thighs while she fucked her. Megan brought her hands to the front of the jersey and held on tightly as she rode Kate's hand. Then she tangled her fingers into her golden mane, kissing her hard until both their lips felt like they were bruising. She licked a sweat bead as it rolled down the side of Kate's cheek and kissed her ear before moaning loudly as she came.

Kate kissed her back sloppily, hungrily, lapping at her tongue as she slowly pulled her fingers from her dripping sex. Now Megan lifted the jersey over her head and unhooked her bra before shoving as much of one breast as she could into her mouth. Kate threw her head back and enjoyed the sensation of her girlfriend sucking on her nipple, nibbling it gently, kneading the other with her left hand before giving it the same treatment with her tongue.

"You…you're…"

"You're everything…" Megan gasped in between the licks to Kate's breasts.

Megan reached down between them with both hands and lifted her hips while sliding Kate's panties off and throwing them far across the room.

"Turn around," she politely demanded.

Kate looked at her, a bit confused, but did as she was told. Megan kissed the back of her neck before letting her tongue slip across her shoulders. Kate's breathing went erratic as she trailed kisses and breaths down her spine, stopping just above her tailbone. Megan gently pushed Kate forward onto her elbows before continuing to lick down her crack, all the way through to her vulva. Kate arched her back and lifted her ass higher into the air, sighing loudly.

"Oh my god…"

Megan licked her from behind, grabbing firmly onto her cheeks and digging her nails into them. Kate bucked her hips backwards against her face as she slid her tongue in and out.

"Ah…yes…please..."

Megan quickly shifted gears and pulled on Kate's shoulders, bringing her back flush against her chest. She rubbed her hard nipples against her back as she reached below Kate once again from behind and shoved her fingers generously into her. She flexed and twisted them while driving them in and out as Kate bobbed up and down. Megan slipped one finger back out to rub her clit as she kissed the side of her neck and whispered into her ear.

"I love you."

Kate barely managed to respond, but shrilly replied that she loved her too as she came hard.

Megan removed her fingers and turned Kate around to once again sit flush against her chest, face to face. Kate wrapped her arms around her and leaned on her heavily for support as Megan brought them both to lie down side by side on the bed, limbs still entwined. They caught their breath and looked into each other's eyes as they smiled.

"That was…where did you…?"

"Instinct," Megan teased, shrugging her shoulders.

Kate nipped at Megan's bottom lip before sucking it in.

"Those are some keen instincts, Dr. Hunt. You should teach a class in lesbian aerodynamics or something."

Megan laughed. "You inspire me. I can't believe you carried me in here. I hope you didn't hurt your back."

"I don't feel anything but throbbing between my legs right now. I think it's safe to say I'm fine."

Megan stroked her fingers over Kate's hip.

"I think Todd's going to back off now." Megan stated, hopefully.

"Did you see the look on his face? He got schooled."

Megan pulled the covers over them and snuggled up closely against the blonde.

"Are you sleeping over?" Megan whispered.

"Love to, but unfortunately I don't have any clothes for work in the morning."

"You can borrow some of mine."

"Right, because that doesn't scream 'we're sleeping together' to the entire office.'"

Megan rolled her eyes. She had picked the habit up from Kate and was not too happy about it. She wondered how many people, besides Ethan, Curtis and Peter actually knew or assumed what was going on between them, and if it would affect their work. She didn't see how, considering this was not the kind of profession where favoritism played any role. It was about everyone doing their part to solve each case. Megan was already at the top of the game, so there was no need to worry about unfair promotions. Therefore, as far as she was concerned, people could assume whatever they wanted. Still, she understood not flaunting a relationship, whether straight or gay, in the work environment. Personal lives were best kept personal.

"Why don't you keep some outfits at my place…I mean…just in case?"

Kate looked at her lovingly, but with a hint of concern.

"Too much?" Megan smiled as she nervously thought she might have overstepped.

"No, it's a good idea. It's just…you realize that's always the first step towards moving in together, right? First it's a few outfits. Then it's my own drawer, next my own side of the closet, and before you know it…"

"I can keep some things at your place too. That way we're even."

"Until it gets messy and we have to start sorting through our shit to figure out who's is whose."

Megan looked very taken aback by this. "Until what get's messy?"

Kate realized what she had said and tried to backtrack. "Nothing…I mean…"

Megan sat up in bed and shifted away from her a bit.

"I'm sorry! It's…old habits. I'm not used to things being so…"

"Perfect?"

"I was going to say easy. Nothing's perfect, though this is still close, considering everything with Todd, and Peter…"

"God, do you have to bring _that_ up right now?"

Kate closed her mouth tightly, as if an invisible zipper had vacuum locked it shut. Megan played with the sheets in front of her, tracing the patterns with her fingertips. Kate truly hadn't meant to say anything to make her think she wasn't serious about their relationship. The thought of them moving in together, while appealing, had just seemed almost unthinkable at first. She was still trying to figure out why she had these moments of self sabotage.

"It was just a suggestion, Kate. I'm not asking you to move in."

"I know," she responded, softly. "I'm sorry for saying stupid things. I'm just not used to anything lasting long enough to even consider that possibility. But with you…it's actually not quite so terrifying."

Megan continued to trace the designs until they led her fingertips to hover over Kate. Kate trapped her hand and held it tightly to her chest. Megan breathed a sigh of relief so subtly she thought Kate probably hadn't even heard it, then turned on her side to face her.

"I don't want to scare you."

Kate smiled sadly, feeling really guilty.

"You don't scare me. I scare me. You're the most incredible thing that's ever happened to me. Sometimes, I just feel like… do I deserve this?"

Megan wrapped her arm around her and pulled her closer. She held the sides of her face just firmly enough to make her point while staring boldly into blue eyes.

"You have to know that you do. You are worth every single moment."

Kate brushed her lips over Megan's, and they both kept their eyes open.

"Why are you always right?"

"Can I have that in writing?"

Kate rolled her eyes then closed them tightly as she kissed her more deeply.

"I love you, Megan."

"I love you," she kissed back.

"Maybe someday— if I don't drive you too crazy—we'll move in together."

"Deal," Megan whispered back.

"Cool," Kate smiled.

"See? Now you're the one picking up Lacey's vocabulary."

Kate pinched her.

"Hey, I bruise easily! No…"

Kate's lips were on hers before she could finish. The two made out for a while before Megan drove Kate home. She promised she would put together some things to keep at Megan's in the near future.


	16. Chapter 16

About a month later, Megan finally ran into her mother at a trial she was called in to as an expert witness. The last time they saw each other, Joan refused Megan's petition to exhume her father's body. She had wanted to investigate whether or not he actually committed suicide, but her mother callously told her to "get over it" and move on with her life. So Megan did just that, leaving her mother behind as well.

Nevertheless, she knew their paths would cross eventually, so rather than continue to pretend she didn't exist, Megan decided to at least acknowledge her presence.

"Well, you're alive. Good to know," Joan huffed.

"Hello, mother. How have you been?"

"Suddenly you care? I could have been stricken with illness all these months and you would have been none the wiser."

"Let's not get into it, alright? I just wanted to say hello." Megan started to walk away.

"Megan, please! I know we don't see eye to eye on things, but you're crazy if you think I don't miss you. I worry about you."

"I'm fine. More than fine."

"Really? That's good to hear. How's my granddaughter?"

"Amazing. Can you believe she'll be in high school next year?"

"No, I can't. It's incredible how time has flown."

"That it has." Megan swallowed as she thought about all the things that had changed in her life over the past few months, none of which she felt she could share with her mother. Deep down, she wished she could. "Well…see you around."

"Wait! Please come to dinner next Tuesday night. I'm just inviting a few close friends. Tabitha West, Dr. Frank, you know, the usual. They'd love to see you, as would I."

"I really don't think…"

"Let's just try. Once. Please? I want so desperately to make up for whatever it is I've done to you."

Megan thought about listing everything she had done, including her latest and most egregious offense, but couldn't be bothered at the moment. She was tired of fighting.

"Okay, once. We'll try."

"Excellent! See you Tuesday then, at seven."

Megan smiled, hesitant but hopeful, and they went their separate ways.

"You want me to what?" Kate whispered loudly the next morning in the break room.

"Please, Kate. All I'm asking is for two hours. It will make it so much less painful."

"For you. I've never met your mother, and now you want me to come with you to her house for dinner, even though I wasn't invited and she has no idea we're together?"

Megan put on her most innocent and adoring smile as she strutted towards where Kate was sitting. She stroked the coffee mug in her hands seductively, and stopped with her knees right in front of Kate's crossed legs, so that they were just barely touching. She bent one knee forward slightly, and Kate looked up at her, practically unaffected, except for the noticeable rise of color in her cheeks.

"Please," Megan batted her eyelashes. Kate could only resist so long and eventually cracked a smile.

"Thank you," Megan bent her knee again to brush their legs together, just as Curtis was rounding the corner.

"Ya'll better behave yourselves," he teased.

"I'm not sure what you're referring to Dr. Brumfield," Megan smirked. Curtis looked back at her, stunned that she had called him doctor. Then he turned to Kate.

"I don't know what it is you're doin'…"

"Curtis!" Kate warned, though her eyes gave away that she was not deeply offended. At this point their relationship was sort of an open secret among the colleagues they were close to.

"Just sayin'. See you in the lab, _Dr._ Hunt" he mimicked as he left with his coffee.

Kate rolled her eyes and looked back up at Megan, who was still grinning. She didn't know who she was kidding. With that smile, she could never turn her down.


	17. Chapter 17

"Oh thank goodness. I started to think you weren't coming!" Joan exclaimed as she opened the door. Her greeting was directed as Megan, who she immediately wrapped her arms around in a hug that Megan was clearly not prepared for.

"Sorry we're late," Megan offered.

When Joan stepped back, she noticed Kate.

"Oh...well, hello. I don't believe we've met." She looked back at Megan, confused, but still playing the role of polite hostess.

"Kate Murphy," Kate answered as she shook Joan's hand.

"Joan Hunt. My, you're stunning."

Kate blushed. She had put a little extra effort into her appearance that evening, perhaps hoping it would offset her nerves. Her hair was swept back in a messy pony tail, blonde bangs playfully whisping at her cheeks. She wore an ivory pencil skirt and sleeveless, royal blue silk blouse. Megan had approved of the look so much they really almost hadn't made it to dinner.

"Kate's the Chief Medical Examiner," Megan noted.

"Oh," her tone changed suddenly. "You're not here on business, are you?" She laughed lightly through her teeth as she turned her focus back to Megan.

"No, mother, we're here to enjoy your company," Megan assured as she brushed past her and went into the house. Kate followed, smiling briefly at Joan, feeling much like the uninvited guest that she was.

"You have a lovely home, Mrs. Hunt," Kate offered. The place was lavish, filled with all kinds of expensive if not somewhat gaudy memorabilia from her travels, along with carefully selected pieces of art. There weren't many pictures, though among the few that were on the mantle in the living room, Kate spotted one of Megan and Todd at their wedding. She tried to not stare at it.

"Thank you, Kate. Call me Joan."

Megan took Kate's purse from her and dropped it with hers on one of the richly upholstered sofas. The three made their way into the dining room, where three men and one woman sat at the table, already drinking wine. They stood to greet the new guests. Megan knew Tabitha West, one of her mother's oldest friends and one of Philadelphia's biggest gossips. Joan introduced her to Kate, along with Tabitha's beau, Gary. Megan also knew Dr. Jonathan Frank, who had been her childhood pediatrician, but she did not know the younger man sitting next to him.

"Megan, this is Christopher Frank, Dr. Frank's son. Well, I guess I should say Jonathan, since Christopher is a doctor too," she laughed too sweetly. "In fact, he's just transferred here from Arkansas and is now head of cardiology at Philadelphia General. I told him you worked there for quite some time."

Christopher extended his hand to Megan. "My father told me about your accident. Sorry to hear about that."

Megan forced herself to be pleasant. "It's alright. Things have worked out in the long run."

"And this is Kate Murphy, Megan's boss at the Medical Examiner's office."

Megan cringed. She wanted to tell her mother the real reason she had brought Kate along, but was trying to wait for it to flow naturally into the conversation (as if such a moment were possible) and perhaps not in front of so many people. Still, she hated feeling like Kate was being treated as just her boss, or just her friend, or anything other than all of what she was.

They joined the group at the table and were handed their own glasses of wine, and soon salads were served. Megan hadn't really expected her mother to cook the meal or serve it herself. She couldn't remember her mother ever cooking when she was growing up. Her father had been the chef in the family, and after he was gone, their housekeeper had taken over the role. Megan would not have resented this if it weren't just one more way that she felt she had been deprived of true connection with her.

The food was excellent, of course. Joan tried to snare Megan and Kate into the gossip web she and Tabitha had been spinning for nearly thirty years. Kate was much better at humoring them than Megan ever had been. At one point, Megan almost choked on her lamb chop when Tabitha revealed that the son of another of their "close" friends might be a little bit "fruity." Her cheeks turned red as she coughed. After taking a long sip of her wine and assuring that she was alright, she felt Kate stealthily lace her fingers between her own under the table. Their softness and firm grip on her hand made her feel like she could get through anything. Still, she turned to Jonathan and Christopher, who had been trying to reel her into a medical conversation, and with which she felt much more comfortable. After dessert was served, Jonathan and Gary excused themselves to the back porch to calibrate the telescope Joan had recently brought back from Italy, and Tabitha and Joan asked Kate to make coffee with them in the kitchen, apparently under the impression that they were now the best of friends.

Megan was nearly devastated at the loss of Kate's hand, but was impressed with how much of a trooper she was. They exchanged knowing glances as Kate followed Tabitha and Joan out of the room, leaving Megan and Christopher behind. They continued their debate over malpractice insurance, which was really starting to bore Megan at this point, even though her fury over the issue compelled her to continue. Minutes later, the three other women returned with cups and saucers in hand.

"You two seem to be hitting it off quite nicely. As I had hoped," Joan delighted.

Suddenly Megan realized she was being set up. She felt foolish for not having picked up on it before. Then again, maybe she had just been in denial, still hoping her mother had wanted to spend time with her without any sort of agenda. She looked up to see Kate's face, much more distressed than she had been prior to her trip to the kitchen. Megan guessed she must have caught wind of Joan's plan while they were making coffee.

"Well, Megan's pretty easy to hit it off with," Christopher smiled.

"And she doesn't hear that from too many people, I would suspect," Joan laughed. Megan tried to tell herself that the wine had gotten to her mother, but she knew she couldn't make that excuse.

"You are really something else," Megan slowly burned.

"What? I figured the two of you had plenty in common, and apparently I was correct."

Kate reclaimed her seat and began fidgeting with her sapphire tennis bracelet. Megan's skin was practically on fire with rage. She reached out and grabbed Kate's hand and planted one of her signature kisses on the back of it. Kate stared back at her, shocked.

"You look absolutely beautiful tonight. Doesn't she look beautiful?" Megan asked the others in their company. They appeared baffled.

"Why, yes…of course…" Joan began cautiously.

Megan turned back to Kate and, very nonchalantly, kissed her softly on the lips, pulling away as Kate's breath caught, then returning to her lips once more for slightly longer. She brushed Kate's bangs behind her ear and smiled at her before turning back to Joan.

"Megan…what on earth…" Joan grumbled. Tabitha looked on in absolute horror mixed with gratification, and Christopher's mouth hung open. Megan turned her downright lethal gaze on her mother.

"You're right. Christopher and I have plenty in common, save for one very important thing. So the next time you try to set me up with someone, don't."

Megan stood from her chair and Kate followed. She could see Kate's cheeks were bright red. She knew she had to feel terribly awkward, but at the moment her anger at her mother trumped all else.

"Megan…I…I didn't know. Why didn't you tell me?" She called after her as they made their way to the front door.

"Since when have I told you anything really personal about my life, and since when have you really listened?"

"Well this was a fine way to bring it up. You didn't even give me a chance! If I had known you were a lesbian, I could have introduced you to plenty of…"

"Mother, I do not need your help! I'm with someone. She makes me happy. End of story."

"End of story only because you won't let me into your life! Rather than cause a scene, we could have simply discussed this as adults. But you insist on acting like a petulant teenager and treating me like I'm some kind of monster."

Kate had grabbed her purse and was heading for the door. Before she could leave, she turned around.

"Thank you for everything, Joan. I'm…sorry."

"Why are you sorry? You shouldn't be sorry, she should be sorry," Megan corrected her.

"Megan, let's go," Kate firmly suggested.

Megan's eyes were welled up with tears, and they left without saying another word.


	18. Chapter 18

The drive home was completely silent for the first few blocks. Finally, Megan had to speak.

"Kate…"

"Was that really the best way to handle that situation? Didn't you think for a second…"

"I'm sorry I put you in that position, I really am. But you don't get my mother. She…"

"She said would have accepted us!"

"She says that now that she's been embarrassed in front of her friends and has no choice but to be gracious about it."

"She's right. You could have given her the benefit of the doubt."

"Really? You're going to take her side? What about the benefit of the doubt she gave me for wanting to look into my father's death, huh? What about the benefit of the doubt she gave him?"

Kate was silent again for a few minutes.

"You missed the turn…" Megan tried to tell her.

"I'm not taking you home."

"Where are you taking me?"

Kate drove them to her favorite spot out in the suburbs near the river, overlooking the bridge back into the city. It was very dark. Megan scanned their surroundings to make sure they were safe, and appeared satisfied after seeing a playground nearby and several houses not too far in the distance. Kate shut the engine off before turning to Megan. She appeared not to know what to say, so Kate started.

"I think you still have a lot of healing to do from your childhood. God knows I have plenty of wounds I need to work on too, but this thing with your father is something you should really explore. Maybe you should talk to someone."

"You think I need a shrink?"

"Megan, we're doctors. Don't tell me you're embarrassed to go to therapy."

"I'm not. I've just been many so times in my life and it never seemed to have made a difference."

"Did you discuss this specifically?"

"Of course."

"Well I'm not telling you that you need to go. I'm just suggesting. Sometimes a new person, at a different stage in our lives, can make a difference."

"I'm never going to know the truth about my father. What I do know is that my mother was cold to him, just like she was to me, and ever since she has tried to make up for it but continues to push me further and further away. She only cares about her image. She abandoned me when I lost my career, abandoned me when my marriage failed. How was I to know she wouldn't abandon me again with this?"

Kate reached out for Megan's hand. Megan closed her eyes at the sensation, which was quickly becoming the most surefire way to make her feel grounded.

"I understand," Kate said. "I'm not upset at you for how you feel. I just wasn't expecting you to…"

"I'm sorry. I know that had to be uncomfortable."

"To say the least." Kate rolled her eyes, then admitted, "Not that I didn't feel slightly vindicated. You should have heard the things they were saying in the kitchen."

"I don't even want to know… tell me."

Kate smiled.

"You can imagine. Your mother was quite proud of herself for finding you the 'perfect match.' Such a handsome man, after so long…" she teased.

Megan held Kate's chin.

"He didn't stand a chance," she whispered as she kissed her. Kate stroked her fingers through Megan's hair as Megan fully indulged in her lips. She played with one of the teardrop earrings dangling from Kate's earlobe.

"I feel like a kid in high school, making out in the car, on a school night…" Megan whispered into Kate's ear.

Kate smirked. "I'm glad we're not in high school. I never would have had the guts to go after you then."

"You really knew back then?"

"I knew from the time I first laid eyes on Dr. Ana Seismore. She was one of the medics on base. I was eight."

"Wow. And yet you still went out with men? All these years, knowing…"

"I didn't think I had a choice. I never thought I'd…"

She ran her fingertips over Megan's lips, trying to remind herself that this was real, not just some dream she'd had as a teenager and thought would never come true. Megan grabbed her hand and sucked on one of her fingers, taking it all the way in and slowly pulling it out of her mouth, wrapping her tongue around the tip before letting go. Kate turned in her seat towards Megan. She sucked on her neck until Megan couldn't help but bring her hands to the hem of Kate's ivory skirt. She slid them up the inside of her silky smooth thighs, thankful that the material stretched as Kate spread her legs for her. She leaned back against the window as Megan continued to tease.

"You want me?" Megan asked, knowing the answer.

"Please… I'm so wet," Kate whispered, already shaking. She locked eyes with Megan, the few blonde locks hanging before her face catching the moonlight. Her eyes and the blue gems in her ears that matched them seemed to glow. Megan eased her fingers into the wetness. Kate grabbed Megan's ass, perfect in her grey pantsuit, and squeezed firmly as she let Megan make love to her. Megan fingered her more slowly and gently than she ever had before, teasing her entrance before diving back in, all the while massaging her clit with her thumb. It didn't take long before Kate was trembling as she came. She was glad no one would see the mess that was made of her white skirt.

Megan continued to kiss her slowly, over and over again.

"I want to taste you," Kate shared as best as she could through labored breaths.

She pushed Megan back against the opposite window and undid her pants, sliding them down, along with the black silk below. Megan made sweet noises as she stared out at the stars. She looked back down at Kate's head between her legs, where she was licking every inch of her. Their breath had fogged up the windows, and Megan felt her hair sliding against the moisture. She gently stroked the back of Kate's neck as she came into her mouth and Kate moaned with approval.

After coming back to reality, Megan began to laugh.

"We are like horny teenagers."

Kate sat up, licking her lips before letting Megan taste herself on them.

The two spent another hour holding hands and watching the sky before driving back to the city.


	19. Chapter 19

Megan and Peter had been working together awkwardly for months, dancing around the issue that had come between them. Megan had honestly let it go. She knew she had no right to be mad at Peter for something that had happened before she knew him or Kate. But now that so much time had gone by without them mentioning it, she didn't know how to bring it up again.

Peter watched as she poured a pint of blood through a sieve, looking for abnormalities.

"Just…not…finding anything…" Megan mumbled.

"Is this all of it?"

"No. Hand me that other jar," she ordered. "Please."

Peter smirked as he handed it to her. She half-smiled back.

"Kate swore this wasn't the culprit, but you know, that never stops me."

Peter hesitated in his response.

"I'm sure she expects it as this point."

Now Megan allowed herself to smile in full. Finally, two tiny metal clips clinked into the mesh netting. She knew she'd eventually catch that asshole doctor whose work had she had called out months ago for being reckless. It was only a matter of time before he really killed someone. She also knew that even with the proof, he'd be able to defend himself, and the victim's family would have to wait a very long time for any kind of compensation. Even then, it wouldn't bring their loved one back.

"Oh ho ho," Peter chuckled. "And so now, how do you tell her without rubbing it in her face and pissing her off?"

"I rub it in her face. And it pisses her off," Megan deadpanned.

"That must cause some…turbulence." He couldn't think of a better word.

Megan laughed, both at the situation and his obvious nerves.

"Like you said, she expects it."

Peter nodded. "I'm glad you guys are doing well. Kate's never looked happier."

Megan nodded back. "I've never been happier."

Peter put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it.

"Just remember, don't…"

She listened to his advice for half a second before tuning it out as she went back to her work. She was glad to have him back. For the most part.

Kate soon got tired of schlepping her things back and forth between her place and Megan's. When it got to the point where they were spending nearly every night together, both decided it was time to move in. Kate admitted that her place never really felt like it was completely her own. There were a lot of memories trapped there, some good, some not so good. She decided she'd rather completely move on than try to brush over the painful ones. Megan's apartment, on the other hand, felt like home to both of them. They asked Curtis and Ethan to help with the move. After all the boxes were brought upstairs, Megan rewarded them for their efforts with pizza and beer. Little did she and Kate know, for all of their grumbling, the guys were honored they'd been asked to help. Not to mention, their curiosity had now been sufficiently satisfied.

A few weeks later, Lacey invited Megan and Kate to her eighth grade graduation party. Todd had conceded, knowing he had no other choice but to play nice. He wore his fakest, most cordial lawyer guise as he answered the door for them that afternoon.

"Todd," Megan nodded as she entered the home they used to share.

"Megan," he acknowledged. He and Kate also exchanged pleasantries before he led them to the backyard, which Lacey had taken it upon herself to decorate with an equestrian theme, along with purple and blue streamers, her favorite colors. Megan was delighted as Lacey ran up to her and hugged her tightly, then smiled even wider as she gave Kate the same warm greeting.

"I'm so glad you guys are here!" She gleamed.

"Where else would we be?" Megan assured.

Lacey introduced them to her friends as her mother and her "mother's partner, Kate." Neither Megan nor Kate had ever used that word, and Megan wasn't sure where Lacey had picked it up, but was glad her daughter seemed to have more grace with explaining their relationship than she did. After giving Lacey her graduation present—a tiny diamond horseshoe necklace, which she adored— they sat eating barbeque chicken at the table on the back deck, along with Todd, who's latest girlfriend couldn't make it. Todd got up from the table often, making excuses to check on something or take a phone call. When he was gone, the three joked about how uncomfortable he still seemed to be, but had to give him some credit. After he had finally sat still for more than five minutes, Lacey began to address them all more seriously.

"Mom, Kate, I have something I need to talk to you guys about."

"Am I gonna need another glass of wine for this?" Megan hesitantly joked.

"Uh…I hope not." she turned to her father, who looked agitated as usual, but urged her to continue. "You guys know I applied to Fairview, the science magnet school, right?"

"Yes, and you told me not to bug you about the results…" Megan replied anxiously.

"I did. Anyway…I got in!"

Megan and Kate both squealed their congratulations. They couldn't help but assume Lacey's project and subsequent interest in their work had somewhat spurred her decision to apply. That, her undying love for horses and desire to be a veterinarian made Fairview the school for her.

"So that's what I need to talk to you guys about. Since the school is downtown, and dad lives all the way out here…can I move in with you?"

Megan's jaw dropped. She looked at Todd, who kind of shrugged, obviously having given in to the idea prior to this conversation. Megan couldn't help but get teary-eyed. She got up from her chair and went over to Lacey, throwing her arms around her before kissing her on the top of the head.

"Of course you can. Absolutely."

"Wait. Don't you and Kate need to talk it over first?" Lacey asked.

"We already have," Kate admitted. "Back when you first applied. We kind of figured it would make sense for you to live with us, since its closer."

"And you don't mind?"

"Not at all," Kate smiled. "Plus, you'll have the perfect live-in tutors to help with homework."

Lacey got up and hugged her too as Megan tried to get a hold of herself. For as much as her life once felt like it was falling apart, she couldn't believe how it had come back together, even better than it had been before.


	20. Chapter 20

_Three months later._

Megan was soaked when she walked in the door after dropping Lacey off at her friend's house for the weekend. She hadn't expected the downpour, and now her hair lay flat against her head. Her favorite orange trench and the golden yellow sweater were dripping wet. She kicked off her heels and removed the coat, shaking it over the doormat before ruffling her fingers through her hair to loosen it up.

"Kate!" she called as she made her way toward the kitchen. "You would not believe…"

The smell of absolute deliciousness hit her nose and the sight of Kate cooking dinner with candles lit all over the kitchen made her lose track of whatever complaint she was in the middle of launching. Kate looked up at her and smirked as she sipped from the glass of wine in her hand. Megan hung the coat on the back of a chair and sauntered into the kitchen, sidling up to Kate and leaning against the counter next to her.

"When did you become such a romantic?"

Kate shrugged. "When have I ever gotten to celebrate a year with someone?"

"I see," Megan gulped. "How does it feel?"

Kate put the glass down. She looked Megan up and down, admiring how the rain left her skin shimmering. She brought her hands to her face and held her gaze as she wiped away a few strands of wet hair. She kissed one cheek, then the other, then her nose, and finally her waiting lips, which Megan immediately parted, slipping her tongue inside Kate's mouth as she wrapped her arms around her. Kate felt the cool dampness from Megan's sweater against her breasts, bleeding through the sheer grey shirt she was still wearing from work.

"You're amazing," Megan told her as she rubbed their noses together.

"Likewise," Kate noted, kissing another raindrop off her chin.

"I can't eat in wet clothes," Megan whispered seductively.

Kate accepted the challenge and unbuttoned the yellow sweater, peeling it away from Megan's lightly freckled shoulders. She balled it up and threw it behind them, then returned her hands to the clasp of Megan's bra, also wet. The now topless Megan Hunt leaned back against the counter as Kate slowly teased down the zipper on the side of her skirt, letting it fall to the floor around her ankles. Kate traced her fingernails over Megan's stomach. Megan tried to guide Kate's fingers between her legs, but Kate grabbed one of Megan's hands and pressed it to Megan's equally soaked panties.

"I want you to touch yourself," Kate breathed heavily into her ear. Megan complied, rubbing her fingers over the wet cotton, all the while keeping her eyes on Kate's lips. Kate looked down at Megan's fingers and soon pulled down her own pants. She leaned against the back on Megan's hand so that her knuckles brushed against her own aching sex with each stroke.

Megan pulled her own underwear down and kicked them across the kitchen floor as Kate mirrored her actions. The two slipped their fingers through wet hair and lips, teasing each other until they couldn't take it anymore. Kate lifted Megan onto the counter, where her ass smacked against the marble. She began fucking her as she rode Megan's knee. Megan leaned back against the cabinets and moaned as Kate pushed into her, all the while kissing her neck. Megan grinded her knee against the slippery flesh that glided over her skin.

"Oh my god, yes!" Kate cried out minutes later as she came. She kissed Megan then brought her lips to her clit, licking her once, twice, as Megan dug her nails into her shoulders and sighed loudly as her orgasm hit. Megan wrapped her arms and legs around Kate's back and continued to kiss her for a long time, until the timer indicated dinner was ready.

The two quickly threw on sweats before Kate finished putting everything together so they could enjoy the mouth-watering meal she had prepared: salmon with lemon orzo and roasted beets with goat cheese. After savoring it, they retired to the bedroom, where they stripped down again. Megan fell back against the pillows and wrapped her arms around Kate as the blonde rested her head on her chest.

"Thank you for everything," Megan whispered as she played with her hair.

"I figure you deserved it," Kate teased. "I thought about taking you out, but we don't get too many nights home alone like this."

"True," Megan noted.

"Not that I'm complaining," Kate added as she lifted herself onto her elbows. She smiled and kissed Megan once more before continuing.

"My parents called today. They're coming to the states in three weeks."

Megan's eyebrows rose as she slowly sighed.

"Oh, this will be fun."

"I told them I moved in with someone, but they don't know the details. I said I'd get back to them about staying with us."

"Of course they _can_ stay. It's a matter of whether or not they'll want to when they find out."

"I guess we'll cross that bridge once they're here. It's not something I felt I could tell them over the phone."

"It'll be alright." She brought Kate's hand, firmly clasped in hers, to her lips. "We'll get through it."

Kate smiled back at her. "We always do."


End file.
